Free workshops on dementia

HOME Instead Senior Care in Wexford is hosting a series of free Dementia Workshops during September, to mark World Alzheimer’s Month.

An estimated 55,000 people in Ireland are currently living with some form of dementia, a figure which is expected to increase dramatically in the years ahead. The workshops will take place at Home Instead’s Wexford office in Clonard Village with the aim of educating local families about the disease and sharing the organisation’s expertise in the area.

‘Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias have become a critical issue for health care professionals in Wexford, not to mention the families and family carers who are affected’, said Anne O’Brien, Operations Manager at Home Instead Senior Care Wexford.

‘In hosting these workshops, we hope to ensure that local families have a greater understanding of the causes behind the disease, how it affects a patient and what can be done to provide the highest possible levels of care to those who suffer from it’, said Anne.

‘Many of the older people we care for have dementia, so we’ve witnessed at first-hand the distress and loss that older adults can face. Family members often play a large part in providing care for relatives with dementia and we want to support them in this crucial work by providing them with expert advice and tips on how to deal with the challenges they face’, she said.

The next Home Instead workshop will take place today, Tuesday, September 11 from 6.30pm to 8pm, followed by another on Tuesday, September 18 from 7pm to 8.30pm and Wednesday, September from 8pm to 9.30 pm. Anyone in the community who has an interest in learning more about dementia can telephone 053 918 4042 to book a place. World Alzheimer’s Month aims to raise awareness about dementia and to challenge the stigma surrounding it, as the number of people affected by the disease grows annually. world Alzheimer’s Day is September 21.