We Are Dementia Friends!
It’s always great to think about others a bit more, especially those who might more help. We’ve done this at Constructive Marketing and we are proud to say that we are now officially recognised as a dementia friendly company by the Alzheimer’s Society. This means that each team member has done online learning about dementia, as a company, we have a better understanding of the condition.Although we are only a small company, we feel that is it very important to integrate the dementia friends programme into our staff policy to ensure everyone that works for us, currently and in the future, is dementia friendly. Director, Kelly O’Haire, said, “My very first job was working as a carer in a nursing home and I have since had much personal experience of the condition and how cruel it can be. When I did my own personal ‘Dementia Friends’ training I thought it would be brilliant for the whole company to do it too, so we signed up Constructive Marketing to the initiative. We have clients in the care sector and its only right that each team member has an enhanced understanding of the condition and what it can be like for those with it. I am so proud that Constructive Marketing is now a dementia friendly organisation and I hope many others see that and sign up too”. Dementia friends is not just about understanding, but also applying that understanding by doing small everyday things that offers help to a sufferer. Just by being more patient with someone or asking if they need any help can mean a great deal, making them feel less alone and isolated from society. Sadly, so many people are impacted by dementia, whether it is themselves or someone they know it is both heartbreaking and still incurable. It is estimated that around 850,000 people in the UK have dementia and that 1 in 3 people will care for someone with it at some point in their lifetime. With such a massive presence in so many people’s lives, it’s important to at least have some understanding of what dementia is and how people in the community can help people suffering with it. Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, not just providing support to people with dementia and their carers, but also investing in research into dementia care, cause, cure and prevention. The dementia friends programme is Alzheimer’s Society’s initiative and has been the biggest one to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about dementia. Becoming a dementia friend is simple, doesn’t take long and means that you’ll have more consideration for dementia sufferers and how to help someone in need. For more information on the dementia friends programme, visit their website, check out their Facebook page or ring the national dementia helpline on 0300 222 11 22. If you’d like to hear from us, you can sign up to our newsletter.