Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead launch a Dementia Action Alliance

According to Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. This will soar to 2 million by 2051. 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that's one every three minutes.

Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead (and surrounding areas) have a population of 148,800 people and as of March 2016, 1500 people were known to be living with dementia. There are also thousands of people within the area who care for these people, so ensuring we work towards a more dementia-friendly community is very important to enable people living with dementia and their carers to feel empowered and live independently in the community for longer.

WAM DAA was formed to encourage and develop awareness of a better understanding of dementia across Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead. We aim to increase the amount of Dementia Friends and Dementia Friends Champions - so people living with dementia and their carers can remain as independent in their community for as long as possible.

WAM DAA has been talking to people with dementia and their carers to gain feedback on what the local community looks like for them.

So far, members include Royal Collection Trust, Colostomy UK, Care UK, Signal4Carers, Nest Homecare Ltd, Alzheimer’s Society, RBWM Fire and Rescue Service, Old Windsor Parish Council, People to Places, Spencer Denney Windsor, Runnymead GP surgery, Metro Bank Windsor, Waitrose Windsor, RBWM libraries and Community Wardens.

All these members have committed themselves, and their organisations to become more dementia friendly within WAM, and it is the aim of the DAA to ensure that this commitment is honoured and promoted to those living with dementia.

Like I mentioned before the focus comes from people living with dementia and their carers so I have also attached a feedback form for people to be aware of. It allows us to use this information to move forward in becoming more dementia friendly. We are also looking for people with dementia and their carers to join our steering group so again if you know anybody please advise them about us.

Link for WAM DAA below;

https://www.dementiaaction.org.uk/west_midlands