Over 60 Members of Parliament (TDs), Senators and representatives attended a recent dementia awareness session in the Irish Parliament (Dáil Éireann) that focused on taking action to make their constituencies dementia inclusive as part of the Dementia: Understand Together campaign. Since the launch of Ireland’s Dementia: Understand Together campaign at the end of 2016, 2.3 million people in Ireland (63% of the population) have seen the TV ads. The campaign, which also includes radio ads and a social media presence, aims to increase awareness and understanding of dementia. The campaign is run by the Health Services Executive (HSE) and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland is a proud partner on the campaign. Early market research on the campaign’s impact shows a positive increase in adults’ understanding of dementia (one third of those surveyed). In addition, a majority said they had now taken some action, from making a mental note to be empathetic and to get in touch, to calling in to see someone with dementia.
The Dementia: Understand Together campaign is now shining a bright light on its other goal: to inspire individuals and communities to take steps to embrace and include people affected by dementia in Ireland. The Irish parliament’s cross-party group on dementia (The All Party Oireachtas Group on Dementia), for whom the Alzheimer Society of Ireland acts as secretariat, is playing its part and hosted an awareness session for politicians that focused on taking community action.
The March session focused specifically on the Dementia: Understand Together Community Activation Programme by showcasing the campaign and asking politicians to take actions in their constituency to make them more dementia inclusive. Over 60 Members of Parliament (TDs), Senators and representatives attended, which was the highest turnout achieved for one of these sessions. Speakers included Fiona Foley, Dementia: Understand Together in Communities National Coordinator; Linda Jordan a Community Champion in Co Cork; and Kevin Quaid, a member of the Southern Dementia Working Group and who lives with Lewy Body Dementia. At the session Mr Quaid said: “It is not an option not to talk about dementia, ask how you can help and take actions”. With 200 community champions registered and 40 business partners, actions taken to date include: local awareness talks and coffee mornings; talking to businesses and politicians; starting support groups; developing inclusive choirs; working with schools and sports clubs and creating networks of champions in local community.
Pictured:Some members of the All Party Oireachtas Group on Dementia with speakers, at the Dementia Awareness Session held in March, in Dáil Éireann.
