This week, Monday the 18th of May to Sunday the 24th of May, is dementia action week. A week when people come together to share their stories and try to lessen the strain of this condition. In Cheshire, the Grosvenor Museum and Chester Zoo, are holding drop-in sessions where people can access support and speak to professionals. Various other activities across the city are running this week, in the hopes to help those living with dementia or family members of these people.
‘One in Three people born today will have dementia in their lifetime’ says the Alzheimer’s society, but this condition doesn’t just affect the individual. Family and friends of people with dementia are urging for greater support and awareness. Charity organisations such as Dementia UK, Age UK, and the Alzheimer’s society offer support leaflets on their websites, and numerous events throughout the year for people looking for vital support.
Age UK suggests three categories of dementia management, that could help an individual caring for someone with a memory loss condition. Cognitive maintenance can be helped by going through old photos, doing art projects, or listening to music. Simplifying tasks and laying out the process can give people with dementia some independence. Most importantly, ensuring that the person is communicating with others regularly will improve their mental wellbeing.
Family and friends of people living with dementia are having to change their mentality in order to maintain some normality. People like Judy are sharing their story during this Dementia Awareness Week:
“I met John in March 1972 and we were married in 1975. He had four older sisters, three of which were diagnosed with memory loss conditions in their older years. He (John) is very intelligent, so he didn’t like that he was forgetting things. He had an MRI scan, and in January 2024, he was told he had vascular dementia” Judy Said.
Judy has had to change her routine slightly to help John move through the day smoothly, she explains “When he tells me things more than once, I answer as if it’s the first time he’s told me.” Judy continued “I write a lot of notes […] you have to start thinking for two, which can be tiring.”
Judy is a very strong individual. For many people living with someone who has dementia, everyday life can be difficult. Judy’s advice could help you feel seen in these times of loneliness, she explained “I can be emotional, particularly when talking to other people about him (John). I don’t want him to have dementia […] I want him to still be the strong one.” She leaves people with this: “You have to try and live one day at a time and not look too far ahead, because you don’t know how things will change […] It has actually helped me a lot whilst I was writing this.”
Cheshire West and Chester libraries are offering a ‘reading well for dementia’ book collection, to ensure people are well informed by GP recommended texts. Also, ‘admiral nurses’ are available to provide specialist dementia advice, free of charge, for those who would like it. On this Dementia Action Week, it is important that people get talking, to put an end to the taboo that surrounds this condition. You can find out more and get involved through many of the charities listed.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/dementia-action-week
