Dementia park support grows
Efforts to create Scotland’s first dementia friendly park in Stirling have been gathering support.
Paths for All wants people with dementia and their carers to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits of walking in the outdoors and has identified the city’s King’s Park as the first of many parks to become more accommodating to those with the condition.
An estimated 90,000 people live with dementia in Scotland, with Stirling reporting 1,650 people living with the condition.
The organisation is developing a project focusing on King’s Park to explore how the park can be made more accessible.
More than £15,000 of a £20,000 target has been raised online so far towards measures.
Based on discussion with the walking group, Friends of King’s Park and a similar project in Barnes Green park in Richmond, Paths for All has identified a number of ways in which the park could be more accessible to people living with dementia.
This includes signage, improvement to paths, planting and infrastructure, interpretation of historical and natural history, promotion, information on transport and facilities in the park, activities and events and dementia awareness training (e.g. for park staff ).
There has also been a £15,000 funding boost from The Life Changes Trust, working in partnership with the William Grant Foundation, to fund a project officer to carry out consultation and development work with the local community.
Paths for All development officer Sheena Corcoran said: “There is a need to develop dementia friendly places to walk and enjoy the outdoors. Being active has many health and wellbeing benefits for people living with dementia including reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
“Physical activity can also improve mental health, cognitive ability and help to regulate sleep patterns. In addition, physical activity can improve muscle strength and joint flexibility, which can reduce the risk of falls.
“Paths for All’s consultation with people living with dementia and their carers highlighted that they believed walking was beneficial for health and wellbeing and that being in the outdoors was a positive thing allowing an opportunity to get fresh air in your lungs and an opportunity for social interaction.
“However, research shows that people living with dementia exercise and leave the house less.”
A number of cities across the UK have been working towards ‘dementia friendliness,’ including looking at the physical environment, how colours are used, toilet facilities, transport and training for those who may come into contact with people in dementia through work.
Stirling Council and its community planning partners has committed to making Stirling and the surrounding area dementia friendly and supermarket Sainsbury’s, in Raploch, has trained their staff to be more aware of dementia and put a ‘buddy system’ in place.