Unite with us against dementia. We get it and – together - we will do it, help people live better with dementia!

By Lindsey Ambrose, Dementia Voice Lead, Alzheimer's Society. 

Alzheimer’s Society recently had our first ever “Dementia Action Week” – a wonderful celebration of co-production and public involvement! A bright, credible and optimistic event demonstrating how, more and more, we are working together – united! - with people affected by dementia as active partners and consultants, wherever they are in their dementia journeys.

It’s a time of fantastic change, with great commitment to including people, sharing power, and learning from experts by lived experience in recruitment, training, campaigns, fundraising... In 2017, our bright, optimistic, branding was launched thanks to people affected by dementia across the UK. The voices of people affected by dementia decided our dementia statements – confident, clear, rights-based, expectations used in our ongoing campaigns work to Fix Dementia Care.

For Dementia Action Week 2018  Marketing & Communications colleagues shaped flagship communications and literature working in partnership with, and learning from, over 500 people affected by dementia across the country, finding out important small actions people take every day that make a big difference to living well with dementia.

We have ‘dementia voice’ opportunities all year including:

Our Research Network: around 270 volunteers who are former and current carers, and/or people living with dementia. No scientific knowledge or research experience required. They help researchers learn to talk to the rest of us about their work. They help decide what gets funded, monitor projects, and do lots more too, if they want! Interested in joining? We’d love to hear from you!

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    Want to join us? Please contact Jamie Tulloch email: ResearchNetwork@alzheimers.org.uk

Focus on Dementia Network: about 60 groups of people living with dementia, across England, Wales and N. Ireland. They work:

• with staff from Alzheimer’s Society: improving processes, products, publications,… ; and
• helping organisations – theatres, leisure centres, hospitals
• Network members have co-produced their service specification, resources for members, facilitators and people wanting to work with them. 

We also welcome volunteers to help us continue to build “dementia voice” into our work.

Want to join us? Please contact Kim Nguyen email: yoursay@alzheimers.org.uk.