One of the aims of the Dementia Friends programme is to increase people’s understanding of dementia and inspire them to make a positive difference for those affected in their communities. To support this, we want our Dementia Friends Sessions to be accessible to as many people as possible. We have created bespoke resources that help volunteers and staff tailor Dementia Friends Sessions for different audiences, ensuring they can be delivered in an inclusive and engaging way.
Recently we reviewed our resources for delivering to adults with learning disabilities. These were created a few years ago with support from MacIntyre, a charity which supports children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, so we were keen to ensure that the information, images and statistics around learning disabilities were up to date.
We worked closely with MacIntyre again, getting their support in sourcing new and more appropriate images to support the delivery of these sessions. Dementia Friends Engagement Officers, Jamie Din and Jas Mahil, also worked on the project with other Alzheimer’s Society staff who have experience working with people with learning disabilities to ensure that these resources were suitable and appropriate. They worked particularly closely with a couple of Local Communities and Volunteering Leads, Lucy Willder and Kathryn Manners who deliver Dementia Friends Sessions as part of their roles.
Lucy said: “My career started in advocacy for people with learning disabilities – supporting people to make informed choices, communicating their wishes, ensuring their voices are heard and that they are at the centre of every decision made. I also have had my own lived experience as a carer for my sister who has learning disabilities.
“I believe it is important that everyone learns about dementia, to be able to keep themselves healthy, to reduce their risk, to be able to spot the signs in themselves and others, to be informed enough to know how to ask for support. Adding into this the fact that people with learning disabilities are at the greatest risk of developing dementia (1 in 5 by the time they are 65, or 2 in 3 by the age of 60 for people with Downs Syndrome) and I believe finding a way to reach people from this community becomes even more important. People with learning disabilities often live with their peers in group settings, or perhaps live with older parents, so knowing how to be a good Dementia Friend to people around them is also important.
“The updated Dementia Friends resources are really good for people with learning disabilities who are comfortable taking part in this type of session. There are lots of visuals to support the session and several interactive activities. The level of awareness in Dementia Friends feels like the right amount of detail and information to be sharing. It doesn’t get too technical or medical, it touches on myth busting and how things might feel for someone. It is a lot of fun to deliver, as long as you are well prepared and are sure that you have the right audience for this method of awareness.”
Jamie, one of the Dementia Friends Engagement Officers working on the project, added: “This has been a really collaborative piece of work with support from MacIntyre and our internal staff who have all been fantastic sharing their knowledge and giving a lot of their time and expertise to the project. Many of the changes in the now uploaded resources are thanks to their fantastic insights. They have been a pleasure to work with, and we are certain that delivering to people with learning disabilities will be easier than ever thanks to their contributions.”
If you'd like to find out more about requesting a Dementia Friends Sessions for a group with learning disabilities or other specific needs, please email dementiafriends@alzheimers.org.uk
