The Institute of Chiropodists and Podiatrists Head Office are proud to announce that we are Dementia Friendly and Jill, Julie and Pauline are Dementia Friends
Please find information below on how you can become Dementia Friends and how your workplace can become Dementia Friendly.
What is a Dementia Friend?
A Dementia Friend learns a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action – anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend. Whether you attend a face-to-face Dementia Friends Information Session or watch our online video, Dementia Friends is about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From telling friends about Dementia Friends to visiting someone you know living with dementia, every action counts.
Information Sessions
Dementia Friends Information Sessions are run by volunteer Dementia Friends Champions, who are trained and supported by Alzheimer’s Society. Each Information Session lasts around one hour. You will learn more about dementia and how you can help to create dementia friendly communities. There are information sessions running across England and Wales.
Please note – public Dementia Friends Information Sessions (those that are open to book on this website) are only suitable for people aged under 18 if they are accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.
For private sessions that are not available to book on this website, such as those run for pupils in their school, it is not necessary for under 18s to be accompanied by an adult.
Our online video
You can also become a Dementia Friend by watching our online video where you will meet Alex, Teresa and Emma who are all living with dementia and learn more about what it is like to live with the condition. Once you have watched the video you can sign up for your ‘Little Book of Friendship’, a resource pack which contains more information and tips on how we can support those living with dementia to feel a part of our communities
Turning understanding into action
After the Dementia Friends Information Session we would like you to tell us about how you are going to turn your understanding of dementia into a practical action. You don’t have to commit to doing something time-consuming. Every action counts.
Dementia Friends actions could include:
- Getting in touch and staying in touch with someone I know living with dementia
- Volunteering for an organisation that helps people with dementia
- Campaigning for change, eg by signing up to Alzheimer’s Society’s campaigns to improve the lives of people with dementia
- Wearing my badge and telling 5 friends about the Dementia Friends initiative
- Carrying out a personal action eg Be more patient when out in my community
Log in to your Dementia Friends account to tell us your action.Telling us about your dementia actionWe want to use our website to capture the ways that Dementia Friends are helping to make life better for people living with dementia in their communities. Every action registered on this website will help us understand what Dementia Friends are doing to make life better for people affected by dementia.
Please join us and the million other people who are helping to change the way the nations thinks, acts and talks about dementia.
Creating a dementia friendly workplace
Alzheimer’s Society has produced an informative guide for employers to help them gain an understanding of dementia, how it impacts organisations and the practical steps they can take to support employees, clients and customers. We hope managers will use this guide as a tool to review existing approaches to supporting people living with dementia in the workplace. We also hope it will be a catalyst to help organisations think differently about how to support colleagues living with dementia and their carers in the future.
There are currently 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and 45,000 are under the age of 65. These numbers are set to rise to a staggering 1 million by 2025. It is therefore vitally important for organisations to consider the role they can play to support their staff and customers who are affected by dementia. Research indicates that this will be beneficial to the organisation for a number of reasons – most notably that staff will be able to perform to their maximum potential for longer. Employers are not only doing the right thing, but they are ensuring their organisation is more productive
The guide outlines the various ways dementia can impact on organisations – members of the workforce living with the condition, those who are have caring responsibilities, or customers or clients affected by the condition. There are significant risks to not taking action, particularly around staff retention and neglecting the needs of clients or customers, which can result in lost revenue.
Organisations of all sizes can take action. The guide provides employers with valuable background information on dementia, to help them to develop a better understanding of the condition. It provides advice on how to become a dementia friendly employer and highlights some of the scenarios which can occur in the workplace with appropriate responses employers can adopt.
The guide was put together by a group of experts from Alzheimer’s Society’s Employers working group. The group consists of individuals from a wide range of organisations in the employment field, including Inclusive Employers, Unison, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Public Health England. The group is part of Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friendly Communities programme.
Please find the guide here