The main aim of a dementia-friendly community is to make sure people with dementia and their carers are empowered and enabled to remain part of their community, to maintain their identity, and be treated with dignity and respect. Aberfeldy is a small town where a culture of kindness already exists so with a little effort, becoming a recognised dementia-friendly community is a possibility.
The process involves learning a little about dementia and doing very simple and practical things that can make a massive difference to people living with dementia, as well as their carers. This could include providing clearer directions on signs, changing the colour of clock faces, and making sure the colour of doors is different from walls so that the door stands out. For shops, being aware that small black door-mats can be perceived as a hole in the floor and this can cause anxiety for the person living with dementia.
In a cinema environment, leaving the lights on but slightly dimmed, reducing the volume and where possible, avoiding the usual advertisements to go straight to the film, can lead to a very enjoyable cinema experience for people living with dementia.
For more information, please visit www.alzheimers.org.uk or www.alzscot.org
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