Sefton Council, Sefton Advocacy, NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS South Sefton CCG have come together this week to celebrate Dementia Action Week, which runs from the 17th-23rd May.

The aim of the week is to raise awareness and encourage action around those living with dementia and those people who care for them.

In October 2019, thanks to the work of Sefton’s Dementia Action Alliance (DAA), the borough was officially recognised by The Alzheimer’s Society as ‘working towards becoming dementia friendly’. This status means that Sefton is a place where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported.

Sefton Council, Sefton Advocacy, NHS South Sefton CCG and NHS Southport and Formby CCG are encouraging people this week to understand how they can support those people living with dementia in our community in order to make our borough the most welcoming, understanding and supportive place it can be for those living with dementia.

Dementia Friendly Sefton are a group of organisations and individuals who are determined to maintain and improve Sefton’s ‘Dementia Friendly’ status.

Take a look at how they have been supporting people living with dementia:

Cllr Paul Cummins, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Chair of Dementia Friendly Sefton said:

“I am so proud to celebrate Dementia Action Week and I take this opportunity to thank the huge number of organisations from across Sefton that help create a place where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported.

“The world can be a confusing and sometimes frightening place for people with dementia, but by making small changes to the way we usually do things, we can make that world much brighter. I encourage everyone in Sefton to take some time to consider how they can become more dementia friendly.”

Justine Shenton, Sefton Older Persons Forum Coordinator said:

“It is important to raise awareness this Dementia Action Week; both of the condition and how people can help make those people living with dementia more supported and understood.

“I’m proud to be a part of Dementia Friendly Sefton and I know we will continue to work towards making our community a better place for people living with dementia and in doing so, enable them to live the lives they choose to live.”

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer of NHS Southport and Formby CCG and NHS South Sefton CCG, said:

“We are pleased to have been working closely with our partners who provide services and activities for those living with dementia, to increase our support in recent years, enabling them to better plan and deliver valuable services in our communities.

“As CCG’s we have also undergone dementia friendly training in order to fully embrace this important agenda and champion this in our borough.”

“As we start to look forward to a more hopeful future as lockdown restrictions ease, it’s important that we continue to support our partners in helping residents transition back into what will hopefully be a more interactive and sociable local community and helping patients and their carers to truly ‘live well’ with dementia.”