Encouraging people to talk about dementia
This year, the Alzheimer’s Society are running a campaign to promote the benefits of opening up about dementia. The ‘don’t bottle it up’ campaign for Dementia Awareness Week encourages those worried about their memory to speak up about their concerns as many people can often feel ashamed or scared by the effects caused by dementia.
To mark Dementia Awareness Week 2014 which takes place from Sunday 18th May to Saturday 24th May, Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMW) will be hosting and promoting events in partnership with CCG’s, Councils, Alzheimer’s Society, and other NHS Trusts around Salford Bolton and Trafford.
GMW have recently been heavily involved with new initiatives surrounding dementia. This year, GMW launched specialist courses for people affected by dementia and their carers as well as healthcare staff and the public to raise awareness about dementia and what everyone can do to help support people with dementia.
This year, GMW commissioned The Family Carers Matter programme, designed by the Life Story Network to improve dementia care and support to family carers, Trust to support families and carers and help them work with their loved ones to capture memories and stories about their life. GMW also supports ‘Dementia Friends’, an initiative lead by the Alzheimer’s Society to help members of the public understand what it might be like to live with dementia and then turn that understanding into action.
As part of Dementia Awareness Week, Manchester University are hosting a visit from Professor Peter Whitehouse at Western University in America who specialises in Dementia and will be presenting his work on the development of a new framework for understanding dementia. Professor Whitehouse will also be visiting Woodlands Hospital, a specialist dementia unit with inpatient and community facilities run by GMW where he will gain knowledge on the practice and dementia care at Woodlands.
Dementia has been prioritised by the government on a national level, and is thought to affect 800,000 people in the UK, although about 47% of people have not been diagnosed. The Alzheimer’s Society’s 2014 campaign aims to promote early diagnosis through recognising signs and symptoms of dementia and to encourage people to see their GP and talk to someone.
Gill Drummond, Dementia Lead for Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said. “Early diagnosis in dementia is so important as it means that person has access to more support and a greater chance to be able to manage the effects of dementia and retain a better quality of life.
“Early signs of dementia can include memory loss, confusion, mood changes and problems with speech. GMW urges anyone worried or concerned about their memory or the memory of a loved one to speak to their GP.”
A calendar of events across Bolton, Salford and Trafford for Dementia Awareness Week 2014 is available here. Events include information days, dementia support groups and more. See Dementia Awareness Week Calendar of Events [pdf] 194KB
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMW) provides district mental health services in Bolton, Salford and Trafford. GMW also provides substance misuse services in Bolton, Salford, Wigan and Leigh, Blackburn with Darwen, Central Lancashire and Cumbria.
- GMW delivers specialist mental health and substance misuse inpatient services throughout Greater Manchester and the wider North.
- Calendar of events supporting DAW 2014 can be found at www.gmmh.nhs.uk
For media enquiries, contact the press office on 0161 772 3985 or email katie.guatella@gmmh.nhs.uk
