One of our area’s most popular residential care homes has joined a local campaign to create a dementia-friendly community.
The Bloomfield Care Centre in Paulton welcomed Nathan Hartley, project manager of Midsomer Norton Community Connectors, to visit last week to share details of the campaign and how they can get involved.
Nathan Hartleysaid:
“There are currently 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia, and that figure is set to rise to 2 million by 2050.
One in four people will be affected by dementia in their lifetimes, especially those diagnosed with clinical anxiety in middle age, which is why it’s important to work with individuals and their families to try and make life much easier for those who have it.”
Community Connectors is a local community engagement initiative that was launched at the beginning of the year to create links for people to get involved with projects. The initiative also focusses on empowering residents to make a difference in their own lives by providing the necessary tools to create change.
This summer, Midsomer Norton Community Connectors formed a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society to run free Dementia Friends workshops in the town and surrounding villages.
Nathan added:
“We want to engage with as many people as possible over the next year and make them aware of dementia, and how we as a community can support those who live with it.
As well as hosting free dementia information workshops, we’re also giving businesses, charities and faith groups tips and advice on how they can create dementia friendly spaces.”
Last week, Nathan ran a dementia awareness workshop at Bloomfield Care Centre, Paulton, and gave residents and staff advice on what more could be done to create a dementia-friendly environment for staff, residents and visitors.
For more information about Midsomer Norton Community Connectors dementia awareness campaign email nathanhartley@midsomernorton.
