South Gloucestershire Dementia Friendly Communities

We work with organisations and individuals to raise awareness of dementia, ensuring that those who are living with this condition are respected, valued and able to participate in their communities.

Communication & Dementia Webinar

Tuesday 23rd February, 2pm - 3.30pm on Zoom

Join us for our second online workshop where we will discuss why dementia brings changes in communication, and provide you with practical guidance on how to have engaging communication that benefits everyone involved.

The workshop will be delivered by Dr Emily Oliver and Dr Joe Webb.

Click here to book your place on the Communication & Dementia Webinar.

New Social group starting January 2021

The pandemic has prevented people from meeting in their normal groups and has tried to rob us of social contact. Carers and those with dementia have been severely affected by social isolation.

Many groups are meeting online as an alternative, but we know that some people are not able to do this or would rather have a short telephone conversation. So, we have created Telephone Connect cafe.

The idea is simple, you call a free-phone number and meet a trained group leader who will lead the group in songs, reminiscing, quizzes, chatting - even storytelling, you decide.

The group is for carers and for those who are living with dementia.

To join is simple, call the office on 01454 868570 and ask to join or email us at dementia@southernbrooks.org.uk or call Winsome, the group leader on 07969 189 333 to find out more. We will send you the simple joining telephone number.

The group will start the 2nd Week of January, looking forward to meeting you then.

Find all the dates and times on our EVENTS page.

We work with organisations and individuals to raise awareness of dementia, ensuring that those who are living with this condition are respected, valued and able to participate in their communities.

Whilst all Memory Cafes are still closed, the Dementia team are busy offering support in other ways. We have been delivering activity packs to The Retreat Memory cafe members, and we now have a new team of amazing volunteers bringing their creative expertise and willing hands to put together more varied packs.

For information on services being offered in South Gloucestershire and how to help support those with Dementia, whilst keeping yourself safe, please read our latest Newsletter HERE.

NEW Support Groups

'This is me' is a peer-support bereavement group for people recently diagnosed with Dementia. The group will talk about the stages of grief and how it relates to the thoughts/feelings of loss often felt after receiving a diagnosis. Sharing and listening to others on the same journey can help to recognise and relate to others.

'Talking Together through grief" is for people experiencing loss associated with Dementia. Either through death or from a loved one entering full-time supported care. Again, the group will explore the stages of grief and how it relates to thoughts/feelings and engaging with others on the same journey.

Not all services and immediate support from friends and families are available as they would be if Covid-19 didn't exist, this is something that will be recognised and discussed in the sessions.

Attendees will receive a Welcome Pack which will include worksheets to use in the sessions. This will encourage engagement and a sense of connection while we can't meet in person.

The hope is that we can transition to face to face sessions as soon as it is deemed possible.

For more information contact Lisa on 07971 or email lisadicker@southernbrooks.org.uk

COVID-19 Resources

Rare Dementia support

People with rare form of dementia may find the lockdown and the new guidelines for COVID-19 difficult to understand as their symptoms of dementia are unique and lesser known. These resources might be of help to them and their carers, but may also be useful for others with with more common forms of dementia.

Useful website resources:

Chair exercise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETUVrHVL_yI

Rare dementia support. Living with dementia and covid-19 : emergency kit

https://www.raredementiasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Living-with-dementia-and-COVID-19-an-emergency-kit.pdf

A document on behavioural dementia and COVID-19 advice for carers

https://www.raredementiasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bvFTD-Coronavirus-advice.pdf

Creative Resources Pack

https://www.raredementiasupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Arts-and-culture-resources-2020.pdf

NEW FOR 2021!! Dementia Friends Sessions

We may be BACK in lockdown but people with dementia still need us to understand and support them. Want to help make your community more dementia friendly? Then join us for a 40-minute online dementia friends information session:

Tuesday 12th January 2021 at 10:30am - webinar on Zoom. CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Wednesday 20th January 2021 at 11:00am - webinar on Zoom. CLICK HERE TO BOOK
Friday 29th January 2021 at 10:30am - webinar on Zoom. CLICK HERE TO BOOK

If you have any questions about these sessions or the work of South Gloucestershire Dementia Friendly Communities please email us at dementia@southernbrooks.org.uk

Please note: No face-to-face Dementia Friends Information Sessions will be taking place until further notice, due to government guidance regarding COVID-19 (Corinavirus).

Dementia Friends Information Sessions are an opportunity to learn about dementia and how it is experienced by those who are affected by this illness. It will help to build understanding and remove the negative stigma that is associated with this condition.

If you want to know more about dementia, you can come along to an hour-long Dementia Friends session that will give an introduction to dementia and examples of local dementia-friendly work. There are monthly, free Dementia Friends sessions at Casson Centre, Rodway Road, Patchway BS34 5DQ.

We are also happy to provide in-house dementia awareness sessions for your staff/volunteers. For more information on this and for information on the Dementia Friends initiative, how to become a Dementia Friend, or if you are interested in becoming a Dementia Champion following your Dementia Friends session.

For more information contact Winsome Barrett-Muir on dementia@southernbrooks.org.uk or call Winsome on 01454 868571.

After attending Dementia workshop Anna was so inspired by the efforts of others and the dementia friendly initiative, she thought her firm had to get involved. Read more about Anna Molter's story here.

South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance SGDAA

(Formerly known as the South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance)

Since January 2015, Southern Brooks has been leading work to support communities and organisations across South Gloucestershire to become dementia-aware. Our aim is to create dementia friendly communities. These are communities where those living with dementia and their families/carers are respected and included in society as valuable members and where people learn about dementia and the simple things that can be done to enable inclusion for those affected with dementia.

This project has been commissioned by South Gloucestershire Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group.

Dementia Friends session: An opportunity to learn about dementia and how it is experienced by those who are affected by this illness. It will help to build understanding and remove the negative stigma that is associated with this condition. These sessions lasts for one hour and are free.

Presentation and talks: We can attend your organisation/business to deliver a presentation on making your organisation dementia friendly, including working with you to bring this about. This is available to both businesses and statutory/voluntary sector and faith organisations.

Membership of the SGDAA: any organisation/business or community group can become a member of South Gloucestershire Demenria Action Alliance. All we ask is that you commit to simple dementia-friendly actions. Joining your local dementia action alliance/Dementia friendly community will enhance your reputation and benefit your customers/staff/volunteers. It will also ensure you're complying with the Equalities Act. Membership gives you opportunities for networking and promoting your organisation on the DAA website.

You can read our mission and the National Dementia Declaration HERE and download a membership form HERE.

Work in schools: one in three children born now are at risk of developing dementia in the future. There is also a significant number who have a family member living with dementia. For these reasons we think it valuable for children to learn about dementia. We can design a programme to suit your needs from a 15 minutes assembly to a whole school dementia awareness sessions.

Publications and Dementia friendly signs: We have created a number of booklets and have some dementia friendly toilet signs that we are able to share with members of the SGDAA. Please get in touch if you would like to receive these.

Have a look at SGDAA on South Gloucestershire Council’s website for ideas and resources for dementia-friendly actions - whether you are a business, school, a local action group or an individual.

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Testimonials

"I've attended a lot of training courses, but this hour long session on dementia awareness has been the best course I've attended. It was concise and interesting and valuable when my father was later diagnosed as having dementia. The course has been such a help to me."

Member of library staff, Kingswood library.

"We had a Dementia Friends’ session in the Branch. It was a surprise to find that staff have family members who are affected by dementia as it is something they had not really discussed. We have started giving out Patchway Memory Café leaflets to our customers. The knowledge that there is a source of help in the community for them is a life- line for myself personally. Thank you for helping us be more aware to help our customers when they need us in difficult circumstances."

Carol, Customer Services at Lloyds Bank, Patchway