dementia support

Age UK Salford has teamed up with dementia communications specialists to continue to deliver unique online support amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

There are currently 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia, a figure which is projected to double to 1.6 million by 2040, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

The charity Age UK works to provide advice and guidance to individuals with memory loss or a diagnosis of dementia, alongside their families and carers. 

The local service Empowered Conversations aims to transform the quality and enjoyment of relationships with people who have dementia by tackling emotions and attitude. 

The two organisations will work together to deliver virtual meet-ups, quizzes, music sessions, discos, seminars, courses, and masterclasses, which have all been adapted from regular face-to-face sessions. 

Chief Executive of Age UK Salford, Dave Haynes, said: “We are delighted to have the Empowered Conversations team transfer its services to us.

“It’s a tried and tested programme with a strong research base and will only enhance our existing and well-established Dementia Support Services and continue to improve support across the city. 

“During the pandemic, it has been more important than ever to work closely with people affected by dementia.

“We have ventured into new territory as an organisation, it has been a vital move to ensure that those people who were used to face to face contact or 1-2-1 calls are still seeing a familiar face and are being encouraged to connect with others and join in with fun online activities that are also good for their health and wellbeing.” 

Emma Smith, project manager for Empowered Conversations (Credit: Age UK Salford)

Emma Smith, Project Manager for Empowered Conversations, says that Covid-19 has created a spike in demand for people affected by dementia, which has initiated new ways to stay connected. 

She added: “We are very excited to be a part of the Age UK Salford team to increase support across the city.

“We want to be there for people from diagnosis to living well with dementia, to end of life and bereavement, and being part of such an important charity will only increase our reach.” 

Local support can be found on the Age UK website. Find out more about Empowered Conversations and Salford dementia support here.

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