A HOST of events are taking place to support residents to help improve the lives of people with dementia.
Tameside Council and NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group are backing the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Action Week campaign, which takes place from Monday 20 May to Friday 26 May.
Many of us will know someone who is affected by and living with dementia which is why it’s so important to continue having those conversations with our loved ones, close friends and neighbours who are affected, even those in the latter stages of dementia.
According to statistics reported by the Alzheimer’s Society, two-thirds of people living with dementia report feeling isolated and lonely. As part of Dementia Action Week we are encouraging local people to take action and have those conversations and to seek out activities and events taking place in our community.
The week will start off on Monday 20 May from 9.30am to 4.30pm with an Educational Event for unpaid carers of someone with dementia.
The event will be held at Werneth House, Tameside Hospital, Fountain Street, OL6 9RW. Anyone in interested in attending needs to register a place by telephoning: 0161 922 4482. Any support needed for a loved one to enable attendance at this event can also be discussed.
On Tuesday 21 May from 9.30am to 12pm there’ll be an Information Coffee Morning at Wilshaw House Day Centre, 3 Wilshaw House, Wilshaw Lane, OL7 9QG.
A number of outside agencies will be present to give information and advice from Admiral Nurses, Age UK, local social groups, the Alzheimer’s Society and tele care. Anyone interested in attending needs to telephone: 0161 330 7065.
They’ll be Living Well With Dementia at St Martin’s Church, Greenside Lane, Droylsden, Manchester M43 7QS on Wednesday 22 May from 1pm to 3pm.
The event will include information from the Alzheimer’s Society, Admiral Nurses, Willow Wood and other agencies as well as various dementia groups across Tameside.
In the UK, one person develops dementia every three minutes and more than 2,124 people in Tameside and Glossop have been diagnosed in 2018.
The Tameside Community Response Service can make life easier, safer and more comfortable for people living with dementia and their carers and offers support to enable people to live in their own home for longer.
It offers a range of technology and equipment, such as personal alarms linked to a 24-hour response centre and health monitoring devices, which help people with disabilities and long-term conditions live more independently.
For more information call for an informal chat on: 0161 342 5100 or visit their web page: https://www.tameside.gov.uk/AdultServices/Tameside-Community-Response-Service
Residents are encouraged to become Dementia Friends, which simply involves putting into practice what they’ve learnt when they meet someone who might need their help.
You can become a Dementia Friend by either watching a video, reading a booklet or attending a face-to-face information session. Visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk to find out more.