FAQs

Dementia Friends Initiative

I would like to donate/fundraise – how can I do that?
Can I use the Dementia Friends logo on my website/leaflet/etc.
I would like to host an Information Session for my group – can you organise that for me?
I’ve lost my Dementia Friends badge – can I have a replacement?
Why is Dementia Friends different in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Will I need to befriend someone with dementia?
Do I need to become a Dementia Friend before I can be a Dementia Friends Champion?
I became a Dementia Friend online - why haven’t I received my pack yet?
I’m having trouble logging in to my account on the website - what should I do?
I’m having trouble registering on the website.
How do I get involved in creating a Dementia Friendly Community?

Organisations

How can I create Dementia Friends in my organisation?
What’s included in the online videos for organisations?
I am the administrator for my organisation. Can I track who in my organisation has watched the videos?
My organisation is signed up to Dementia Friends. What do I do if my staff have already signed up individually?
How can my organisation become more dementia-friendly?
My organisation’s staff are all Dementia Friends. Can we be recognised as a dementia friendly business?
My organisation has created Dementia Friends. How do I order badges and action cards?

Dementia Friends Initiative

I would like to donate/fundraise – how can I do that? Back to top: Dementia Friends is an initiative run by Alzheimer’s Society. Whilst it is not possible to donate/fundraise directly for Dementia Friends, you can find out more information on donating and fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society here.
Can I use the Dementia Friends logo on my website/leaflet/etc. Back to top: The Dementia Friends logo may be used to promote the Dementia Friends initiative, show your support and encourage others to sign up as Dementia Friends. It may not be used as a kite-mark, accreditation or endorsement. For more information please email dementiafriends@alzheimers.org.uk
I would like to host an Information Session for my group – can you organise that for me? Back to top: Absolutely! You can request an Information Session for your group here.
I’ve lost my Dementia Friends badge – can I have a replacement? Back to top: If you have lost your Dementia Friends badge, please email your details to dementiafriends@alzheimers.org.uk and we can arrange for a replacement to be sent out to you.
Why is Dementia Friends different in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland? Back to top: Alzheimer’s Society operates in England, Wales & Northern Ireland therefore these are the areas Dementia Friends covers.

This website lists Information Sessions for England and Wales only. If you are in Northern Ireland and want to get involved, please contact Alzheimer’s Society in Northern Ireland.

If you are in Scotland and want to get involved, please see the Dementia Friends Scotland initiative website.

At Alzheimer’s Society we have committed to helping other countries to develop their own Dementia Friends programmes, by sharing resources, learnings and advice. Find out more here.
Will I need to befriend someone with dementia? Back to top: Dementia Friends is not a befriending initiative. Dementia Friends and Dementia Friends Champions should not be seeking relationships with people with dementia outside the relationships that they already have. A Dementia Friend or Dementia Friends Champion is not checked to see if they have a criminal record or otherwise vetted as a ‘safe' person for people with dementia.

If Dementia Friends or Dementia Friends Champions decide they'd like to take on a befriending or other role providing personal care to people with dementia, they can find out more about the training and support on the Alzheimer's Society website.
Do I need to become a Dementia Friend before I can be a Dementia Friends Champion? Back to top: No, you will get a chance to become a Dementia Friend during the Champions induction.
However, if you are unsure about the Champions role, it may be useful to attend a Dementia Friends’ Information Session first so that you can learn more about the initiative.
I became a Dementia Friend online - why haven’t I received my pack yet? Back to top: It is great to hear that you have become a Dementia Friend – you should receive your Dementia Friends pack within 28 days of registering. If you still haven’t received your pack after this time, please call 0300 222 5855 and our customer care team will investigate this for you.
I’m having trouble logging in to my account on the website - what should I do? Back to top: Sorry to hear you cannot login to your account on the website. You can try resetting your password here. If resetting your password does not work please email dementiafriends@alzheimers.org.uk or call 0300 222 5855.
I’m having trouble registering on the website. Back to top: Sorry to hear you are experiencing issues on our website. Please email dementiafriends@alzheimers.org.uk or call 0300 222 5855 for assistance.
How do I get involved in creating a Dementia Friendly Community? Back to top: Establishing a steering group is key to the success and sustainability of creating a Dementia Friendly Community. There are different ways you can do this, such as forming a Dementia Friendly Community steering group or a local Dementia Action Alliance (DAA). To find out if there is an existing group, or which route is best for your community get in touch with your local Dementia Friendly Communities Officer by contacting DementiaFriendlyComm@alzheimers.org.uk

Organisations

How can I create Dementia Friends in my organisation? Back to top

Any type of organisations from large to small across the private, public and third sector can roll out Dementia Friends to their workforce.

Video route - recommended for all organisations: By registering your organisation, you will get access to a set of videos that are specific to customer service scenarios. You’ll be provided with a unique code that anyone in your organisation can use to watch the videos online. To become Dementia Friends, employees need to watch the introductory video and at least one of the four others available.
Dementia Friends Staff Champion: You can attend a community Dementia Friends Champions Induction (6 hours) in order to run Information Sessions for your organisation, customers, friends, family or the wider community. This is only recommended for those with the time and commitment. Read more about the criteria here.
Information Sessions: An Information Session is an interactive awareness-raising session and usually 45-60 minutes long. Find out more about Information Sessions here. You can request an Information Session for your organisation by emailing dementiafriends@alzheimers.org.uk
Planning to make more than 5,000 Dementia Friends in your organisation? Email programmepartnerships@alzheimers.org.uk with more details about your plans.

What’s included in the online videos for organisations? Back to top

The videos for organisations offer a comprehensive overview of customer service scenarios that could be faced by a person living with dementia and demonstrate how to handle that scenario. The videos cover public transport, reading and writing, paying for things and speaking on the phone. After watching the videos, employees can receive their Dementia Friends badge and an action card. The action card features our five key messages about dementia and signposts to help and further information.

I am the administrator for my organisation. Can I track who in my organisation has watched the videos? Back to top

We don’t register contact details so we will only know the number of people who have watched the videos. We recommend that you keep your own track of this.

My organisation is signed up to Dementia Friends. What do I do if my staff have already signed up individually? Back to top

If staff have become Dementia Friends through another route, they will already count towards the overall total of Dementia Friends in England and Wales. Unfortunately we aren’t able to link them to your organisation account.

How can my organisation become more dementia-friendly? Back to top

If you are already involved with Dementia Friends and want to know more about working towards becoming a more dementia-friendly organisation, please visit Alzheimer’s Society website.
Alzheimer’s Society also offers comprehensive dementia training. Our Training & Consultancy team develop and deliver high quality training based on best practice in dementia care, providing whole staff teams with common skills and knowledge in dementia. To find out more, please visit Alzheimer’s Society website.

My organisation’s staff are all Dementia Friends. Can we be recognised as a dementia friendly business? Back to top

Becoming a Dementia Friend or Dementia Friends Champion is an individual commitment and cannot be used as a kite mark for a group or organisation.

Having Dementia Friends is a great start but there are many more steps a business would need to take to work towards becoming a dementia friendly organisation. If you would like to explore ways in which your organisation could become more dementia friendly, please email programmepartnerships@alzheimers.org.uk

My organisation has created Dementia Friends. How do I order badges and action cards? Back to top

If all employees have completed your chosen route, your Organisation Administrator can now request badges and action cards for your staff. Please email programmepartnerships@alzheimers.org.uk with the following information:

1. Name of organisation and unique organisation code (i.e. ABCD1234).
2. Address for badges to be sent to.
3. Number of Dementia Friends created.
4. Number of required badges and action cards.

You must ensure to log numbers on your dashboard as soon as possible after your colleagues have become Dementia Friends in order for us to process your request.