Dementia Friendly Gwent
What is a Dementia Friendly Community?
A dementia-friendly community is a city, town, or village where people with dementia are understood, respected, and supported. In a dementia-friendly community people will be aware of and understand dementia, so that people with dementia can continue to live in the way they want to and in the community they choose.
Why are Dementia Friendly Communities Important?
Dementia-friendly communities are vital in helping people live well with dementia and remain a part of their community. This has never been more important, with people feeling isolated and alone during the Covid19 pandemic, so creating environments that are inclusive and supportive is key to our recovery agenda. Dementia-Friendly Communities encourage everyone to share responsibility for ensuring that people with dementia feel understood, valued, and able to contribute to their community
Too many people affected by dementia feel society fails to understand the condition they live with, its impact or how to interact with them. That’s why people with dementia sometimes feel they need to withdraw from their community as the condition progresses.
Dementia Friendly Gwent
Dementia Friendly Gwent previously consisted of five steering groups across each local authority, Torfaen, Newport, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, and Monmouthshire. In 2022, a Gwent wide Dementia Friendly Communities’ group was formed, merging the individual local authority steering groups into one overarching group. This alows us to streamline this work Programme and allow partnership working across boroughs. Taking a regional approach has allowed each borough to showcase projects, network and provides opportunities to share learning and raise any current challenges. There were a wide range of partners and members of the community in attendance sharing their passion to improve our communities for people living with dementia their families and career’s.
The group meet bi-monthly and regularly share information in and outside of meetings. If you would like to join the Gwent Dementia Friendly Communities network please contact erin.roche@torfaen.gov.uk
All Wales Dementia Care Pathway of Standards
As part of the Dementia Care Programme of work, directed by the requirements of the Dementia Action Plan for Wales; Improvement Cymru have been scoping the standards for dementia care with people living with dementia, carers, and partners from across Wales. From this engagement 20 standards have been narrowed down from over 100, detailing what people believe will make a positive difference to dementia care.
Dementia Friendly Communities plays a huge part in this work as the standards are person centered, take a proactive approach to address needs, and help people from all communities to engage and get the support they need. We also have some great community support initiatives across Gwent, that support people pre diagnosis and post diagnosis alongside carer and family support and are working hard to raise awareness and understanding across the region.
The All-Wales Dementia Care Pathway of Standards supports the Dementia Action Plan and focus on a set of interventions determined to improve dementia care and shape the future of our action plan for the next 5 years and beyond.
This work is being taken forward by the Gwent Dementia Board, with Dementia Friendly Communities playing an active part in our regional community engagement and subgroups allocated in readiness, to implement the standards in April 2023.