Health board event to raise dementia awareness

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is helping to challenge the stigma surrounding dementia as part of Dementia Awareness Week.

Dementia is an illness that affects the brain and a person’s ability to manage everyday activities and can have an impact on all aspects of thinking and feeling as well as causing changes in behaviour.

Each year, Dementia Awareness Week (DAW) is held with the aim of raising awareness of the illness and helping to improve the lives of people with dementia, their families and carers.

The week-long event will help educate and engage staff and members of the public on the effects this can have.

Dementia can have a serious impact on people lives and NHSGGC is committed to providing person centred care to improve the lives of those directly affected.

Throughout the week, colleagues from Alzheimer Scotland will be across health board sites with information stands for staff, patients and visitors.

Christine Steel, AHP Dementia consultant at NHSGGC, said:“We are delighted to participate in Dementia Awareness Week and shine a spotlight on this crucial issue .

“We are keen to help promote this year’s message that‘dementia is just one thing about a person – it’s not everything.’

“As part of the awareness week, we will be helping to educate members of staff and patients on how to support people to live well with dementia.

“The illness is more common in older people but more than 3,000 people in Scotland under the age of 65 will have dementia, including people in their 40s and 50s.

“This is referred to as young onset dementia and we are keen to raise awareness around this.

“Through increased understanding, we can create a dementia friendly environment where everyone feels valued and included.”