As one of the biggest social action movements to change the perception of dementia, Alzheimer Scotland celebrated a major milestone by reaching 90,000 people becoming a Dementia Friend, one for each person living with dementia in Scotland. Dementia Friends Scotland aims to transform the way the nation acts, thinks and talks about the condition, as well as challenging the stigma of dementia, which still exists for thousands of families living with the illness. Introduced in 2014, the initiative has gone from strength to strength engaging with individuals, communities and businesses across the nation. Welcoming Dementia Friends Scotland’s latest milestone, Henry Simmons, Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said: “When we introduced the Dementia Friends initiative to Scotland in 2014 we could never have imagined that by this year we would have reached 90,000 Dementia Friends. It is simply remarkable that so many people in Scotland have become a Dementia Friend, each and every one them playing their part in building a dementia-friendly Scotland and sending a message of support to their fellow citizens who are living with dementia that they care about them." “It is reassuring, but not surprising, that so many individuals throughout Scotland are willing to make their mark by becoming a Dementia Friend. When we ask the Scottish public for their support we are never let down and this has been exemplified by their support for this movement and by the remarkable number of people who have supported our Fair Dementia Care Campaign, turned out for our Memory Walks, volunteered in our localities and Helpline, signed up to participate in research and helped raise funds to support our work." “We owe all of our Dementia Friends and supporters a huge debt of gratitude and on behalf of everyone at Alzheimer Scotland, I would like to express our most sincere thanks for helping us achieve this milestone and we look forward with hope to achieving many, many more.” The Dementia Friends initiative aims to give people more insight into the condition and the real challenges people living with dementia face. It demonstrates the small changes that can often make a big difference to people living with dementia such as adapting how you speak, giving clear information, removing some of the challenges that can cause confusion and changing behaviour - such as simply being patient in a queue. Find out about dementia and what’s it’s like to live with the condition by becoming a Dementia Friend at www.dementiafriendsscotland.org.
