Select a region
It's a common misconception that being a 'Dementia Friend' is about befriending a person with dementia, but this isn’t the case.
Community Education Coordinator Wendy Buckley from Dementia Jersey, Express's chosen charity for 2021, explains more...
Dementia Jersey is very pleased to be part of the Dementia Friends Network; a global initiative to help raise dementia awareness.
It is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia and has become one of the biggest social movements on any disease; the programme aims to change the way people think, act and talk about dementia.
There are currently 520 Dementia Friends in Jersey, a number which we aim to grow.
The immediate misconception is that you need to befriend a person living with dementia, but this isn’t the case.
Becoming a Dementia Friend is about learning what the disease is, how it impacts the person living with the disease, and how/when you can help.
Let’s start by looking at what the Dementia Friends initiative actually is.
The dementia-friendly approach originated in Japan in 2013 and was then championed by the Alzheimer’s Society in England and Wales. It has now been adopted by many countries around the world including Jersey.
Pictured: Those who attend sessions are asked to put their learning into action.
All you need to do to become a Dementia Friend, is to first attend a one-hour interactive information session which we host in Jersey for groups in the community, and in the business environment. The session evolves around five key messages which we think everyone should know about Dementia.
The session can help remove any misconceptions about what actually happens when you have a form of Dementia. The severity can sometimes be lost as you cannot (in most cases) “see” what is happening, given it’s a disease of the brain, with the most common symptom being memory loss.
Each attendee is then asked to put their learning into action, whether that be finding out more about our charity, wearing their badge and changing how they see and treat someone living with the disease.
A quick answer, anyone!
We offer sessions for school children from the age of six, and youth groups too. We really want young people to be involved, so they can understand the disease better; which may help when meeting up with an older family member affected by the disease.
Lots of groups get involved across schools, youth groups, businesses and even other charities.
Public sessions are run in the Library, and you can also book private sessions, whether that be for your family, club, association or your place of business. We can accommodate you in any way, and in a time that works best such as ‘Lunch and Learn'.
Within the school environment, we can deliver this information session as part of the PHSE curriculum, and for youth groups it can be linked into the organisation’s badge/award scheme.
Pictured: "We really want young people to be involved."
All sessions are free-of-charge, although any donations towards the work of the charity would be gratefully received.
Remember, you may not be able to see that someone has dementia, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t there and that it is not a severe condition to live with.
For further information on Dementia Friends or to request an awareness talk, please contact Wendy on wendy@dementia.je or telephone 07829 772 207.
