We had a fantastic turn out for our Alzheimer’s Awareness Week talk which concluded a week of activities across the UK. Some may have seen the government campaign asking people to sign up as dementia friends.
The talk held at the Cosmic offices within Honiton Business Centre took us through the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and various coping methods which can help us support a friend, relative or neighbour who has or is developing it. It also gave the attendees the opportunity to sign up as a ‘Dementia Friend’.
One of the most important features of the talk was the importance of being patient and calm with people when out and about because dementia could be a contributing factor to frustrating situations. Marion (from the Alzheimer’s Society) explained what happens within the brain for people living with Dementia using a clever analogy based around the human brain being like two bookcases. From the beginning of our lives we will fill up one of our bookcases with books full of memories, the second bookcase is where we store our feelings we felt.
As we grow older the bookcases grow bigger and taller as they fill up with a lifetime of memories and the feelings we felt. However when Dementia strikes, the bookcases become fragile and they begin to break until some books start falling off the shelves. Some of the books get buried in the pile and some from the past are easy to access. This explains why many people suffering from dementia can seem as though they are living in the past or demonstrate strong emotions for something that may seem slightly random; mistaking people for those they have known throughout their life and reliving memories from childhood and early adulthood.
To find out more about the symptoms and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s click here.
The session was enjoyed by all of the attendee’s following the talk attendees were able to get advice from Marion for their own personal experiences. Marion is a volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Society and a Dementia Champion. We’d like to thank her for visiting us and delivering the talk and encourage everyone to take a look at the Alzheimer’s Society’s website to make sure they’re aware of the symptoms and coping methods that can make such a difference to suffers and carers.
If you’d like to become a Dementia Friend you can take a look here and the Alzheimer’s Society has a vast library of downloadable documents and leaflets which explain everything from diagnosis to making your home safe here.