Homes gear up to mark Dementia Action Week

Care providers are running events and launching guides to mark the upcoming Dementia Action Week.

Care groups are gearing up to mark the upcoming Dementia Action Week with events and guides.

Dementia Action Week is organised by the Alzheimer's Society and this year runs from 16 to 22 May. It aims to raise awareness of the disease, and the theme this year is diagnosis.

According to 2014 research produced for the Alzheimer's Society, 69% is the average prevalence of people living with dementia in care homes in the UK. Dementia care, and in particular the complexities around dementia dining, are a key part of many care caterers' roles.

Care providers are marking the week, in many cases providing documentation and organising events for their local communities. 

The Ivy Court Care Home, near Doncaster, is hosting an event on 18 May which will feature guest speakers with professional or personal experience with dementia. The team hopes the event will help attendees:

  • Understand and recognise potential symptoms of dementia
  • Know where to go locally for guidance and support
  • Feel empowered to take the next step

The event is free to attend and members within the local area are all welcome. The event will start at 2pm. It will include presentations on diagnoses in the local area, as well as signs and symptoms of the condition.

Claire Hoyles, customer relations manager at Runwood Homes, which operators Ivy Court, says: "The Ivy Court team and I are proud of our beautiful home and revel in the opportunity to welcome in the wider community to enjoy its features and facilities, all while receiving valuable information. We want everyone that attends our Dementia Action Week event to feel like they have come away with important information about dementia, know where to find additional resources and feel like they are always welcome to Ivy Court for support."

Elsewhere, Care UK has launched a free guide to support people whose loved ones have been diagnosed with dementia. A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK found over a third of British adults (35%) have many questions about dementia – but do not know how to get the answers. 

The guide, titled 'Let's talk about dementia', follows an easy-to-read Q&A format. Tapping into more than 40 years of experience of providing care for people living with dementia, it has been designed by Care UK’s experts, including head of nursing, care and dementia, Suzanne Mumford, as well as home managers and team members across more than 150 care homes.

You can find the guide here

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