Dementia Awareness Day Raised Important Issues

Published on: 20 Apr, 2016
Updated on: 19 Apr, 2016

By Val Dillon

Many people attended a dementia awareness day hosted by the Fairlands Practice Patients Participation Group at St Mark’s Hall, Normandy on April 8.

Various agencies set up stalls around the hall and spread the word about the help which is available to patients and carers.

Highly qualified speakers described the symptoms and problems associated with the condition and shared their expertise.

Many of those who attended told stories of their personal experiences in dealing with dementia in its various forms.

More funding is desperately needed in order to make life more bearable for those affected.

Some carers reported that they had great difficulty in obtaining a blue badge for parking the car close to clinics, etc. It was assumed that if patients had use of their legs they wouldn’t need a badge.

Carers often use up all of their savings in caring for a partner. They give up their own lives to look after their loved one, but when the partner dies there is often nothing left.

The final speaker was Professor Annette Sterr of the University of Surrey whose journey with her husband, who had developed early onset dementia, was harrowing. The audience was deeply affected.

Of those who came along, many expressed their appreciation of the day, which had provided food for thought and had helped them to identify and resolve some issues.

Responses to Dementia Awareness Day Raised Important Issues

Peta Malthouse Reply

May 10, 2016 at 11:52 am

The title of the day was, ‘Living Well with Dementia’ and I was delighted to see the hard work of the Patients Participation Group had paid off in getting that message across.

Many people are not aware that it takes ages to get a diagnosis but that once obtained the services, treatment options and support both for the patient and the carer(s) is out there. One of the purposes of the day was to try to identify where the gaps in service provision presently lie. Speakers came from the Alzheimers Society and our local Hospital Provision at Farnham Road Hospital.

Surrey Health Watch supported the day in order to obtain that information to assist them in trying to get that funding and it was also supported by Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council. It was a helpful place to start for anyone who needs assistance with just getting a bit old.