Dementia Friendly

By raising dementia awareness in our community, we can support and encourage people living with dementia to feel more confident about going out and continuing with their normal activities, including going to church. With help and advice from Hampshire Dementia Action Alliance we developed an action plan to help us make our church dementia friendly.

The plan was accepted by the Alliance and in October 2015 we started to put the plan into action. Forty villagers and churchgoers attended a dementia awareness session held in the Church. The Clergy, churchwardens, pastoral care team and the team responsible for the smooth running of our Sunday Services, have attended a second dementia training session tailored towards their work.

There is a small information point in the church providing leaflets and contact details of relevant charities supporting those with dementia and their families.
We have started to take this a step further by using the Church for information sessions. This is aimed at those who are caring for a loved one living with dementia, or other problems such as frailty or disability, or anyone who has and interest. Our first speaker, from the Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Hampshire, gave an interesting and helpful talk.

An Environmental Audit is in progress to assess the Church building for potential issues for people living with dementia; this audit will also benefit others who have a disability or frailty.

Articles on Dementia Friendly Church in Hambledon are regularly published in the Parish Magazine, using the opportunity to seek the views of the readers The Dementia Friendly Church Team especially value views from people living with dementia and their families.