Living with Dementia
GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES AND GROUPS
There is good evidence that living a healthy lifestyle can help reduce your risk of developing dementia when you’re older. It can also help prevent cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and heart attacks, which are themselves risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, the most common types of dementia.
We now also understand more than ever the negative impacts of loneliness and that feeling lonely is often linked to early death. Therefore it is important to keep socially active to reduce the impact of loneliness and isolation.
This website provides a list of local services, groups and activities that can support people to live well with dementia. These groups and activities are inclusive for people living with dementia, their carers, family and friends.
Persons living with dementia are usually capable of more than we can imagine.
AGE UK Hereford & Worcestershire
The Age UK website provides a comprehensive range of Dementia Wellbeing Information and support available across the counties, and also provide links to other websites. They cover:
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Dementia Café support groups
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Carers’ Groups
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Well Being Service (for people aged over 65)
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Worcestershire Young Onset Dementia (for people aged under 65)
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Worcestershire Admiral Nurse Service
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Meeting Centres
Other useful community information across the counties:
Alzheimer’s Society / Dementia Connect
Dementia Connect is a free Alzheimer's Society's dementia support service, which is easy to access, and puts you in touch with the right support. From local help to phone and online advice.
Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia advisers can support you directly by phone or face to face, as well as connect you to a range of local services.
Input your post code to find local support, activities and help.
Dementia Connect | Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk) or call 0333 150 3456
Dementia UK - Admiral Nurses
Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline
The free, confidential Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline provides information, advice and support with any aspect of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
The Helpline is open Monday to Friday 9am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm; every day except 25th December.
Call the Helpline for free on 0800 888 6678 or send an email to helpline@dementiauk.org
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if you need to speak to a nurse more urgently
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if you would like to speak to a nurse in the evenings or over the weekend
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if you prefer to use the phone rather than make a virtual face-to-face appointment
The Helpline nurses can also advise whether there is an Admiral Nurse service that you can access in your area
Website: How we can support you - Dementia UK
Dementia Friends Awareness Sessions
A Dementia Friends Champion could run a free one-hour session locally for you and your colleagues, sharing key messages about dementia and the actions you can take to raise awareness and be dementia friendly.
For more information and to search for local sessions visit:
Website: www.dementiafriends.org.uk
Herbert Protocol
This is a national scheme adopted by police services and other agencies across the country. It encourages the care provider, the person at risk or their family to complete a form which can be used by the police should the person at risk go missing.
The police will only ask for the form or for the information should the person go missing.
The form can be obtained from:
Website: www.westmercia.police.uk/article/20154/The-Herbert-Protocol
HEREFORD AND WORCESTER FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
As part of their commitment to reducing the number of fires in the home, HWFR Service offers free Home Fire Safety Checks to residents across the two counties. A Home Fire Safety Check involves representatives from HWFR visiting your home to offer safety advice specific to your needs. During the visit they will check smoke alarms and install new ones if needed. They will give advice to avoid the risk of a fire in the home and will also help work out an escape plan in the event of a fire.
If you feel you would benefit from a visit contact the Community Risk Team via the on-line form at
Website: www.hwfr.org.uk
Tel: 0800 032 1155