Rebecca Weare and Beccy Bristow are both solicitors at Start Point Law and both are Dementia Friends Champions. This means that they were trained by the Alzheimer’s Society to deliver the Dementia Friends Information Session and help create more dementia friends.
Dementia is an important topic as it is a disease that was responsible for the largest number of deaths in the UK in 2018. A progressive disease for which there is no known cure. It is estimated that 1 in 14 people over 65 has dementia – but we suspect that the number is far higher.
Dementia is a disease of the brain and it can affect any of the functions that the brain controls. Memory, hearing, sight, movement and even personality may all be affected. As a result, as the dementia progresses it can result in the person affected becoming more and more isolated as they find it difficult to get out and about. This not only affects the person with dementia but their friends and family as they dedicate more and more time to their care.
Talking about dementia and removing stigma can help people living with dementia to live well and that is the message that Rebecca and Beccy and any other Dementia Friends are trying to promote.
In March we created over 50 new dementia friends – holding sessions for Morrisons, Farming Community Network, Kingsbridge Eye Care and Aveton Gifford WI.