Raising awareness of Dementia across the district

Stratford-on-Avon District Council is supporting a national campaign to raise awareness of the affect that living with dementia can have on people's lives.

This year, national Dementia Awareness Week runs from 14 May and the Alzheimer's Society is asking everyone across the UK to unite against dementia, to encourage people who are worried about the impact that living with dementia may have on their lives to find out where they can go for information, help and support.

Dementia is set to be the 21st century's biggest killer. But awareness and understanding remains low and many families are facing it alone.  The District Council has been working at raising awareness of dementia since it approved its dementia action plan in April 2015 and there are now almost 3,000 dementia friends within the district.

The District Council's aim is to create dementia friendly communities within the district. 

Shipston-on-Stour has already been officially recognised as a dementia friendly community by the Dementia Action Alliance, thanks to the work of the local dementia friendly community group.

The District Council is hoping to replicate the success in Shipston in other communities across the district.

There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers predicted to rise to over 1 million by 2025 and double by 2051. 225,000 people will develop dementia this year, that's one every three minutes.  The increase in the prevalence of dementia means we are all likely to experience dementia.  This may be directly when a family member is diagnosed or indirectly by coming across someone in our community who may need a bit of help.

The need to develop more dementia friendly communities is clear – places where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported, where people are aware of and understand dementia and people with dementia will feel included and involved.

During the awareness week 2017 there will be an information stand at the District Council's headquarters in Stratford-upon-Avon and the District Council will also issue the third edition of its dementia awareness newsletter to staff and Councillors.

Anyone interested in creating a dementia friendly community in their area should contact Marie Darwen, Policy Officer at Stratford-on-Avon District Council on 01789 260108.