Creating Dementia Aware Villages

Everybody deserves to be included and that includes people living with dementia. There are 5000 people living with dementia in Bristol and this is estimated to rise 11% by 2030.

As part of my role as Community Development Manager at Bristol Dementia Action Alliance, I have been working with community leads in Shirehampton on a pilot project to make it the first ‘Dementia Aware Village in Bristol.’

We have had a great response to the project and 23 of the high street retailers pledged to become dementia aware. Part of this involved an advisory audit of the premises to see what small adjustments could be made to make it more welcoming and accessible for people living with dementia and other conditions.

There have been several dementia awareness sessions held in the village and a memory café and skittles group for people with young onset dementia. Dementia does not only affect older people and there has been an increase in dementia in people that are of working age.

The purpose of the project is to create a community that is thinking about dementia which empowers people living with dementia to remain active and independent for as long as they wish to without the fear of being discriminated against.

The project will be rolled out to the adjoining villages - Sea Mills, Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, known as the Four Villages.

If you would like to find out more about the project or about the services that Bristol Dementia Action Alliance provides, contact office@bdaa.org.uk.

Lisa Dicker, Community Development Manager, Bristol Dementia Action Alliance