Dementia Awareness Week Events in Ealing
Variety of activities and talks taking place
|
Ealing Council’s Michael Flanders Resource Centre will be holding events on Wednesday, 18 and Friday, 20 May for residents with dementia and their families and friends.
Activities at the centre in Church Road, Acton will include gardening with park staff, music therapy, mindfulness, baking, reminiscence sessions and talks on art and living well. On Sunday, 22 May the centre will hold its monthly ‘Forget Me Not’ dementia café. The café, which is run by centre staff and volunteers, provides a relaxed and informal environment where people can share experiences, make friends and find out about council services.
Brent Lodge Animal Centre, Hanwell will be offering guided tours with a chance to meet the animals and try some light gardening on Thursday, 19 May from 11am-12pm and from 2-3pm. The walk is demanding so visitors with mobility problems are asked to call centre manager Jim Gregory on 020 8840 4244 or email gregoryj@ealing.gov.uk.
Dementia Concern Ealing will be holding an afternoon tea from 2-4pm on Thursday, 19 May at William Hobbayne Centre. They will also hold an information session with Neighbourly Care at Golf Links Community Centre, Ealing on Friday, 20 May from 11am-12pm. While a dementia workshop for Armenian carers will also be held at the Centre for Armenian Information and Advice.
Dementia nurses and charities Dementia Concern and the Alzheimer’s Society will have information stalls at venues across the borough throughout the week. These include Ealing Hospital, Tesco in Ealing Broadway, Southall Town Hall and libraries in Southall, Acton, Ealing and Northolt.
Dr Sujoy Mukherjee, consultant psychiatrist at West London Mental Health Trust will be giving a talk on dementia, its symptoms and treatment. He can be heard on the following dates:
• Acton Town Hall Library on Tuesday, 17 May from 5.30-7pm.
• Ealing Central Library on Wednesday, 18 May from 2-3.30pm where he will be joined by consultant psychiatrist Dr Ksenia Marjanovic who will give a presentation on dementia care provided by Ealing Hospital.
In addition to these activities, keen knitters are being urged by West London Mental Health Trust to get their needles and wool out to make twiddlemitts for people with dementia. These are knitted woollen muffs with beads, ribbons and buttons attached which are given to some people with dementia who like to have something to occupy their hands. The Limes Unit in Southall is appealing for volunteers to knit these mitts. More details and a pattern are available by calling Brightmore Mukutirwa 020 8483 2881.
Ealing Council staff are also being encouraged to learn more about dementia and put into practice small day-to-day actions that can make a real difference to the lives of people living with the condition.
Councillor Hitesh Tailor, cabinet member for health and adults services, said: “ We have worked with our partners to put together a programme of activities for Dementia Awareness Week. These will be informative and practical and also include cultural and social activities for people to enjoy. Together with our partner organisations we recognise it is important for people with dementia and their carers to lead as full a life as possible. It is our ambition to become a dementia friendly borough."
Councillor Penny Jones is Ealing Council’s dementia champion. She said: "I firmly believe that people can live well with dementia. It’s so important to learn more about the condition so that we can all contribute towards making this possible for our family, friends and neighbours. As someone with personal experience of caring for a loved one with dementia I also know the importance of being able to talk to other people in a similar situation. Dementia is something which can affect anyone and I would encourage people to find out more about it and to come along to some of our events during Dementia Awareness week."
For full details of Dementia Awareness Week activities please visit www.ealing.gov.uk/dementia
18th May 2016
