Using funding from The Welsh Government Intermediate Care Fund, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO) have made an award to Alzheimer’s Society to deliver a Dementia Friendly Powys pilot project. Dementia Friendly Powys will build on the Society’s Dementia Friends campaign and it’s use to develop Dementia Friendly Communities.
With over 2,000 people living with dementia in Powys, and statistics suggesting one in three people will die with dementia means that in one way or another dementia is likely to touch all our lives. The Dementia Friendly Powys project will increase local understanding of dementia and its affects but as importantly will help communities to make life easier for those with dementia and their carers.
A key to developing a Dementia Friendly Powys is the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends programme. Anyone can get involved. A Dementia Friend learns a little bit more about what it's like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action - anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend. From helping someone to find the right bus to spreading the word about dementia on social media, every action counts.
During the next few days I will be promoting dates and times of local Dementia Friends Sessions and telling you how you can join one, find out more about dementia and maybe help to make Powys more dementia friendly.
Dementia Friends sessions are run by Dementia Friends Champions. A Dementia Friends Champion is a volunteer who encourages others to make a positive difference to people living with dementia in their community. They do this by giving them information about the personal impact of dementia, and what they can do to help.
It's easy to get involved. Dementia Friends Champions attend a training session, receive support when they need it, and become part of a growing network of people creating Dementia Friendly Communities. You don’t need to have attended a Dementia Friends Session to become a Champion but you will need to attend Champions training. Some people find it useful to attend a 1 hour Friends Session before signing up to a full day of Champion training but it’s up to you.
As a Dementia Friends Champion you will learn about dementia and how it affects people, and the practical actions that Dementia Friends can take that could help someone with dementia living in their community. You will learn how to run Dementia Friends' information sessions to inspire other people to become Dementia Friends and help to create dementia friendly communities. Training takes a day – it is relaxed, interactive and informative - its free and you get a nice lunch!
The next Dementia Friends Champions session in Powys is:
Thursday 13th November at the PAVO offices in Llandrindod Wells, it starts at 10.00 am and finishes around 3.30 or 4pm (depending how hard you work and how many questions you ask)!
Please book by registering your interest in the Champions section of on the Dementia Friends website: https://asdf.secure.force.com/
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