Alzheimer's Society Event – Willerby

On Thursday members of the Home Instead Beverley & Hull team attended an Alzheimer’s Society event at the Mercure Grange Hotel in Willerby.  With attendees from throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire it was a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and hear from speakers on the support options available throughout the region.

The event was hosted by Elaine Agar of the Alzheimer’s Society and throughout the day we heard from a number of speakers including Nikki Anderson who spoke of a new Enhanced Dementia Support pilot programme caring for people with dementia who are admitted to hospital.  This new initiative would see an increased focus on the additional needs of people with dementia as they spend time in our hospitals providing much needed support and increased awareness amongst hospital staff.  We also heard from Kirsty Norris-Carr and Debbie Drury of the Memory Assessment Service for Hull and East Riding who ran through the process of referrals into the clinic, assessment, diagnosis and the steps following diagnosis.  The detailed information that they provided helped us all gain a better understanding of the pathway from symptoms to treatment and the need for increased coordination between our primary care system and the Memory Assessment Service.

Our favourite speaker of the day was Trish, who was described as a carer but was really a comedian and poet!  Trish described the journey that she and her husband Roy have been on since his Dementia diagnosis, sharing their story and some of her poems.  Although there have been plenty of challenges including their initial interaction with their GP, Trish showed the power of a positive outlook with plenty of laughs along the way.

Along with the presentations there was time to meet and speak with the other attendees about ways we can help in the East Riding.  Thanks to Elaine and all those at the Alzheimer’s Society for putting on such a great day.