Plymouth employers recognised for being Dementia Friendly

Dementia Friendly employers in Plymouth are being recognised for their commitment as the city becomes more dementia aware.

All local organisations that have signed up to Dementia Friendly status are being recognised at a special event at the Reception Room, Council House on Monday 12 October. In addition Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet will receive an update report on all the work that is taking place in the city at its meeting on Tuesday 13 October. This will include an update on the Dementia Strategy and Action Plan that was approved by the Cabinet in September 2014 and the Western Locality of Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) in 2014.

A range of organisations have signed up – from Barclays to Drake’s Circus to Sainsbury’s and a number of local schools including Stoke Damerel Community College which won the national Dementia Friendly School award from the Alzheimer’s Society in 2014.

Ian Sheriff, Chair of the PDAA, said: “The Plymouth Dementia Action Alliance is seen nationally as a beacon in the world of Dementia friendly communities. Communities from around the UK, Japan and the Netherlands have used the knowledge and experience gained by members of the P.D.A.A. to implement their own dementia friendly Towns and Cities.”

Councillor Ian Tuffin, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care for Plymouth City Council, said: “As a council we are committed to working with our partners to help Plymouth to become a more Dementia Friendly city.

The PDAA has an ever-growing membership of organisations from a wide variety of sectors across the city, such as: healthcare, emergency services, transport, education, defence, legal services, charities, faith groups etc. In the last few months, it has welcomed new members from the retail, finance, health and leisure sectors.

Dr Shelagh McCormick, a GP in Plymouth and clinical lead for mental health in the Western locality of NHS Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS NEW Devon CCG), said: “Being diagnosed with dementia can be a very worrying and upsetting time and we know how difficult living with dementia can be for people and their families.

“That’s why it is really important that people get the right support to deal with their diagnosis and to help them live with dementia.

“NHS NEW Devon CCG has a joint strategy together with Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council, Torbay Council and NHS South Devon and Torbay CCG to enable people to live well with dementia.

The ‘Dementia Friendly Community’ idea was first formed in Plymouth by the Plymouth Dementia Action Alliance (PDAA) in 2011, originally a partnership between Plymouth University and Plymouth City Council. The concept was then adopted nationally and in the summer of 2013, Plymouth was invited by the Alzheimer’s Society to join the ‘early adopter’ group for the recognition process of dementia friendly communities, and at an event in August 2013, Plymouth City Council and its partners launched the Dementia Friendly City initiative, making Plymouth one of the first in the UK.

Plymouth City Council has a Dementia Friendly Toolkit to provide organisations with guidance and information on how to become more Dementia Friendly. This can be downloaded from the Council website at: www.plymouth.gov.uk/dementia

If you would like to find out more about the Dementia Friendly work in Plymouth and how your organisation can get involved, contact the Dementia Friendly City Co-ordinator, Claire Puckey, on 01752 398922 or email claire.puckey@plymouth.gov.uk

You can also sign up to be a Dementia Friend. The Alzheimer’s Society aims to create 4 million dementia friends by 2020. For more information visit: www.dementiafriends.org.uk