DFS News

Face to Face Dementia Friendly coffee and chat meetings for September

• Market Tavern - Tuesday 3rd September 10 - 12

• Sandbach Rugby Club - Thursday 12th September 11 - 12+

• Wesley Centre (Hosted by Wesley Avenue and Sandbach Crosses Rotary) Saturday 21st September 10 - 12

• Elworth Grange Care Home - Monday 30th September 10:30 - 12

Weekly online session via Zoom every Wednesday @11am

An opportunity for a chat with members of the Dementia Friendly Sandbach group online from the comfort of your home or anywhere else with access to the internet.

Face to face dementia-friendly coffee mornings restart in Sandbach

The first face-to-face meeting for those living with dementia in Sandbach for nearly six months took place last Thursday (15th April) at Sandbach Rugby Club on Bradwall Road.

Dave Whitworth, Chair of Dementia Friendly Sandbach, explains: ‘Sandbach Rugby Club have kindly offered us their outdoor marquee to use for our coffee mornings when normally it is not required for anything else. Andy from Symphony catering is providing the refreshments. At the moment, we are limited by the rule of 6 so are limited to those who are previously known to us, for example from events we ran before the first lockdown, or who have since been referred to us. Once the Government eases restrictions further, hopefully on May 17th, we can open up more towards a normal dementia cafe with provision for people to drop in, for support, information, and good company! Coincidentally May 17th is the start of Dementia Awareness Week which runs from May 17th to the 23rd.’

Dave added: ’At the moment, we’re focussing on inviting people who have not been able to take advantage of the sessions we’ve been running online. These include a Zoom coffee morning every Wednesday morning at 11am as well as sessions being run by Kath Reader in Alsager. We’ll continue to run these weekly sessions until there is no further demand for them. Last week, for example, Sally Wilson of AgeUK Cheshire East gave an enlightening talk on scams awareness – if it looks too good to be true it probably is! Sally explained sadly just how inventive and sophisticated scammers are getting, such that anybody can be taken in.

If anybody wants to come to any of these events, online or ‘live’, please get in touch with us.’ Dementia Friendly Sandbach can be contacted via their website www.dementiafriendlysandbach.org which went live earlier this month, or via Facebook @DementiaFriendlySandbach or by phone 07593 533260.

Photo caption: From left to right Wendy Whitworth, Graham and Margaret Anderson and Rachael and John Horrocks enjoying the chance to meet and chat, appropriately socially distanced of course!

DFS News Item – Wristbands

The simplest ideas are sometimes the best! Dementia Friendly Sandbach has purchased a number of wristbands with the statement ‘Please be patient with me I have Dementia’ printed on them.

This was suggested in feedback surveys we carried out at our events in 2019, as well as the popularity of a few created for the Crewe DEEP (Dementia Enablement and Empowerment Project) Thinkers Group. They are not everyone’s choice, but for those who do like them, they are simple and robust. We ordered 300 initially from a supplier who makes bulk orders normally for entry to pop concerts and the like, and we give them out at our events or on request free of charge. We are also looking to promote their use to local businesses and shops in Sandbach, to help them to support their customers living with dementia.

We were informed just before the first lockdown that one of these wristbands traveled to New Zealand as a local resident was visiting their family there. They had problems on the plane navigating their way back from the toilet to their seat, but apparently the stewardesses, having spotted the wristband, could not have been more helpful.

Result! As one of our steering group members who was a keen promoter of them said!

DFS Website – News Item – Campaigning for those living with dementia during coronavirus

It is a sad fact that during the pandemic the additional challenges faced by those living with dementia have not been at the forefront of the Government’s mind. While much of the campaigning has been by national bodies such as the Alzheimer’s Society, including a parliamentary debate in November on coronavirus and dementia, to which we have contributed, we have also raised concerns locally where more day to day problems have arisen:

· Periods of lockdown for those living at home with dementia have been particularly challenging, either for those living alone, or where their primary carer has been left with little or no help. Respite breaks in a local care home can help, but placements were limited, and involved the person with dementia having to isolate on their own in unfamiliar surroundings for 10 to 14 days. Following dialogue on this with Cheshire East, they were able to arrange an additional placement where, because of the layout, such strict isolation was not required as long as the visitor had a negative coronavirus test.

· Those living at home with their partner/carer often rely on the wider family for support, including overnight stays. The original ‘bubble’ definition did not allow for this support to continue, to the detriment of the person with dementia and their partner. This concern was raised locally, and we contributed to the national campaign via local MP Fiona Bruce. In December, the bubble definition was widened so that a couple living together, one disabled (including dementia) and the other their full-time carer, could legally bubble with another household.

· We have also raised the issue of those living with dementia and their partner/carer being invited for vaccination together, even if the carer would normally be in a lower priority category. This was initially raised at one of our zoom coffee mornings. We raised this first via Fiona Bruce for consideration at a national level, without success. We have since raised this locally for the SMASH group of surgeries, and we’re pleased to see this is happening more and more, although not yet universally.

Photos from the Sandbach Garden Trail 2019 fundraiser.