East Riding organisations join forces for dementia

Public, private and third sector organisations will unite on Tuesday 19 May to support the estimated 5,000 people living with dementia in the East Riding.

The Alzheimer’s Society, East Riding Libraries, and Burnby Hall Museum & Gardens  are among those who have signed up to join the East Riding Dementia Action Alliance (DAA). An information and networking drop in event is being held at the Best Western Lairgate Hotel in Beverley between 11am and 7pm on 19 May where anyone interested in helping to make the East Riding more dementia friendly is welcome to attend.

Members of the DAA pledge to undertake actions to improve their services for people with dementia. These actions could be anything from learning about dementia friendly customer service and raising awareness of dementia to undertaking a review of premises to make them more dementia friendly  

The information event comes after an Alzheimer’s Society report found that less than half of people living with dementia feel a part of the community (47%) and nearly three quarters (73%) of UK adults surveyed do not think society is geared up to deal with dementia.

The aim of the Dementia Action Alliance is to help create a community where people with dementia feel confident, understood and supported to live well.

Paul Harrison, Alzheimer’s Society’s Operations Manager said: "It’s vital that people living with dementia should still be able to enjoy all the East Riding has to offer. Many people with dementia have reported feeling trapped in their own homes and let down by their communities, with one in three only getting out once a week and one in 10 only manage this once a month. This is simply unacceptable.

"The East Riding Dementia Action Alliance aims to address the isolation that many people living with dementia can feel and we are delighted to see so many of East Riding’s greatest attractions and services interested in committing to helping people in the community live well with dementia.

"Alzheimer's Society wants to create Dementia-Friendly Communities and the DAA is the best vehicle for doing this."

The East Riding Dementia Action Alliance is always looking for new members as well as other alliances in the Yorkshire and Humber region. If you would like to join email Emma Williams on emma.williams@alzheimers.org.uk, call 01482 211255 or visit www.dementiaaction.org.uk.