In May, the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Action Week (DAW) took place in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A week that united thousands of individuals, local groups, businesses and the state to take action and improve the lives of people affected by dementia.
The 2019 campaign focused on ending the isolation faced by people living with dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society’s research showed that, despite almost everyone knowing someone affected by dementia, two-thirds of people living with the condition reported feeling isolated and lonely. And a contributing factor is the public’s worry of “saying the wrong thing” to someone living with dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Society’s #AskUsAnything campaign urged people to start conversations with the people affected by dementia that they know - helping people with dementia stay connected to their families, friends and communities. DAW 2019 was brought to life by a powerful film showing children asking people with dementia funny and profound questions, breaking down stigma and showing that people living with dementia, despite having struggles, are still themselves.
You can see the film, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYnI_L3mH00
It was also the busiest week yet, for new additions to Alzheimer’s Society’s existing 2.9 million Dementia Friends and 420 dementia-friendly communities.
Highlights of DAW 2019 included Members of Parliament (MPs) holding Dementia Friends’ sessions for all parliamentary security staff, and businesses such as Santander and AON making their workforces dementia-friendly. The Alzheimer’s Society’s two-day Annual Conference, on 21-22 May, also saw Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Social Care give speeches.
Dementia featured heavily in the media, including National Press, Breakfast TV and radio. Most importantly, people living with dementia were at the forefront of the campaign - starring in the film, taking over the Alzheimer’s Society’s social media channels, publishing their tips on starting conversations; and volunteering as staff in leading restaurants to challenge stigma around dementia in the workplace (as part of a new initiative called Dining4Dementia).
The Alzheimer’s Society is determined to create a dementia-friendly world, where people living with dementia are included and supported to live the lives they want, and where their rights are upheld. Dementia Action Week helped them move a step closer to that goal - one conversation at a time.