Dementia Action Week 2024
Every year Alzheimer’s Society brings the UK together to take action on dementia, working with organisations and individuals during Dementia Action Week. This year’s focus was taking action on improving the dementia diagnosis rate.
1 in 3 people with dementia do not have a diagnosis, and this is vital to help give people access to the care, treatment and support they desperately need.
Dementia Action Week 2024 took place from 13 – 19 May. We have support and information available all year round. If you're worried about yourself, or someone close to you, get help describing your symptoms to a GP by filling in our symptoms checklist.
Welcoming new Dementia Friends:
An amazing 3,398 new Dementia Friends signed up during Dementia Action week by watching our online video or attending one of our information sessions delivered by our fantastic Dementia Friends Ambassadors and Staff Deliverers. (As of 20.05.24 and not including young Dementia Friends)
From these new Dementia Friends, we welcomed lots from Acorn Stairlifts UK, Morrison’s Darlington and Orchard Care Homes who shared their wonderful images of becoming Dementia Friends.
We are so pleased to welcome so many new Dementia Friends and your support helps to change the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about dementia.
One Voice Blackburn achieved their goal of creating 2000 Dementia Friends by 2025 and completed this early in May 2024!
Creative crafting:
Creative Mojo Bishop Stortford and Coventry & Nuneaton made beautiful forget me not crafts with residents to show their support.
There were lots of amazing posters made by Ingatestone and Fryerning Junior School which were displayed in the village raising awareness for dementia.
MedwayArtBox created a community art project, installing hand-crafted felt and paper forget me not flowers made by students from Ripplevale School.
There was an array of wonderfully knitted postbox toppers, one made by Knit Wits to create a talking point and raise awareness in their local area. Sophie from @sdu.crochet in Cardiff, knitted a beautiful postbox topper for her village, including information about Dementia Action Week. There was also a chance for the public to take home one of the forget me nots to encourage making donations to Alzheimer’s Society. We also received lots of images of postbox toppers which you may have seen in your local areas.
Age UK Hounslow’s Knit & Natter group produced a lovely display from hand knitted forget me nots which was showcased at one of their dementia awareness events. Ceri Jane Beauty & Training Studio showed support for Dementia Friends during Dementia Action Week in a very creative way, producing beautiful forget me not nail art.
Information displays in doctor surgerys and hospitals:
Francis Grove Surgery created a display to provide essential information about dementia and support. They also held a dementia awareness day and encouraged patients to become Dementia Friends. At Royal Oldham Hospital, displays were made for patients and relatives using resources like the dementia symptoms checklist and information about local dementia support groups.
Morrison’s Darlington:
Morrison’s in Darlington was a hive of activity for Dementia Action Week. A Dementia Friends Information Session was held with Asian Women’s Exercise Group which was translated into Bengali by Fatema. Singing for the Brain was also held in Morrison’s Café, where over 25 people affected by dementia joined in. Reid Street Primary School displayed their colourful forget me nots all around Morrison’s too.
First Steps in Lowton
This nursery have been tirelessly raising funds for the Society for a couple of years as two of the staff have personal experience of their mums living with dementia, one has since sadly passed. They fundraise under the guise of Daughters Against Dementia, and during Dementia Action Week they completed a “Colour Day” where the children were asked to wear something blue, yellow or purple and make a financial donation, and they had a bake sale which raised over £500! All this alongside volunteering for us at a Morrisons Forget-me-Not collection at the weekend. They also advertised for parents to become Dementia Friends.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your contributions and continued support during #DementiaActionWeek 2024!
Your actions, big or small, all make an impact on those living with dementia to help raise awareness and understanding for the importance of a dementia diagnosis.
