Dementia Friendly Communities

Suzanne CroyDementia Lead Associate

Dementia Services Development CentreUniversity of Stirling

June 2013

Aims

• Literature review to identify exemplary practices in Dementia Friendly Communities (DFC) to guide actions

• Seek relevant sources which could act as benchmarks of progress and targets to be exceeded

• Provide baseline information on existing resources on which to build

A Key Finding

• No common interpretation of “dementia friendly” and “dementia friendly community”

• Impact of how we interpret these terms

Differing Approaches : England

Local Government Association (LGA 2012)

• 5 key areas identified by people with dementia which make a difference as to the capacity for communities to become dementia-friendly

• Physical Environment• Local Facilities• Support Services• Social Networks• Local Groups (especially walking)

Five Domains of a Dementia-Friendly Community

LGA (2012)

Some Stirling Recommendations• Create a clear vision of “Dementia Friendly

Community”• Audits of 5 domains to establish baseline and identify

priority actions• Memory Aware High Street – consistent national

approach• Use existing resources• Local network (alliance)• Dedicated person to compile list of current resources• Consider the ‘size’ and ‘scope’ of your community

Dementia Friendly CommunitiesDSDC do not believe there is a single model for a “dementia-friendly community”. Instead we aim to help communities, commissioners and providers work out what can be achieved on a sustainable basis given available local resources. Our aim is to support achievement of the changes communities want and can realistically achieve over time. DSDC is able to provide clear evidence-based advice, support and facilitation because of its particular history, current expertise and range of experience.

Upcoming Events

• Dementia Friendly Community Information Day – 12th June 2013 DSDC

• Dementia Friendly Conference : Stirling Dementia Friendly City – 24th June 2013 DSDC

• Dementia Friendly Outdoor Access – 25th July 2013

Thank you