People around County Clare are being encouraged to do more to support those living with dementia, as the HSE’s Dementia Understand Together campaign runs all this week.
Leahnora Clohessy is the HSE’s Occupational Therapist with the Memory Technology Resource Room, based in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis.
She told Alan Morrissey on Morning Focus that the numbers presenting with or experiencing dementia in Ireland is increasing as our population is ageing.
However, Leahnora says there have been a lot of advancements in the area and the HSE is trying to promote awareness of dementia within our communities.
She also told Alan there is a “fantastic” online portal on the Understand Together website:
“It’s a one-stop shop really for all types of information: for businesses, for members of the public, for people living with dementia, for their family members.
Just the range of information that’s there, the training opportunities that people can access, the other organsiations that exist that support people.
I would strongly encourage people to look at that website, because anything that they need to find out is there on that.”
There are many things that we can do, both as individuals and communities, to lend support to people and families who are living with dementia, including these six key actions:
1. See the person, not the dementia
2. Talk about dementia
3. Ask how you can help
4. Stay in touch
5. Support the person to keep up hobbies and interests
6. Make sure your service or space is easy to use.
For more information and support, call the national helpline on 1800 341 341 or visit www.understandtogether.ie
