Help create a dementia-friendly Stockport

27th January 2017

NHS Stockport CCG has signed up to be one of the founding members of a local alliance aimed at creating dementia-friendly communities in the borough.

The Stockport Dementia Action Alliance will encourage and support local communities to take practical action to improve the lives of people living with dementia.

It can involve things like changing the signage or layout of premises so that it is more easily understood by people with dementia and training staff so that they can give the right help when needed.

To become a member of the alliance, organisations and community groups have to pledge to carry out at least three actions that will help make Stockport a good place for people with dementia to live.

The local NHS group, Stockport CCG, has vowed to implement a local dementia strategy, encourage their own staff to train to become Dementia Friends and to specify that organisations doing work for them are also dementia friendly.

The CCG will also encourage other local organisations, businesses and schools to sign up to the alliance and will help to run the local alliance meetings.

Chair of Stockport CCG, Jane Crombleholme, said “We are proud to help create the Stockport Dementia Action Alliance and would urge other organisations to sign up as soon as possible.

“We believe it’s vital that we all work together to develop dementia-inclusive communities, where people with dementia are understood and respected as well as being supported to continue to play a role in their community.”

There are five key points to understand: dementia is not a natural part of ageing, it’s caused by a disease of the brain, it’s not just about losing memory, it’s possible to live well with dementia and there’s more to the person than the disease.

For more information or to sign up go to dementiaaction.org.uk and search for Stockport Dementia Action Alliance.