Local home care company pledges to help boost early dementia diagnosis
This Dementia Action Week, local home care company Home Instead Ipswich is pledging to give out the Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia checklist.
Local home care company pledges to help boost early dementia diagnosis
This Dementia Action Week, local home care company Home Instead Ipswich is pledging to give out the Alzheimer’s Society’s dementia checklist which enables families affected by dementia to seek an early diagnosis and receive support before it progresses further. Members of the community are being encouraged to join in with boosting awareness of the condition.
The Alzheimer’s Society’s checklist lists typical dementia symptoms. People with dementia, or their loved ones, can fill it in and show it to a GP or healthcare professional. It helps show the severity of the condition and increases the chances of receiving a diagnosis, enabling you to seek further help. Not only that, it removes the need for family members to discuss their loved ones’ symptoms in front of them, preventing conflict and upset.
As a company that supports older people with dementia living at home, Home Instead sees the impact that the condition has on families. The company has care professionals who are specially trained to deliver dementia care and decided that Dementia Action Week, run by the Alzheimer’s Society, was the best time to raise awareness.
Wendy Chard, Head of Community Engagement at Home Instead Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe, says: “Some people have difficulty receiving a dementia diagnosis, for a number of reasons. Perhaps the GP thinks that the person is simply showing signs of old age, rather than dementia. And maybe their loved one doesn’t think they have developed the condition. The dementia checklist is such a useful tool to demonstrate the common signs your loved one is showing, from asking the same question repeatedly to struggling to find the right word.
“Getting an early diagnosis is important, and that’s the message we’re spreading when out in the community to mark Dementia Action Week. It might be that your loved one can get treatment to prevent it from progressing further. Or they might benefit from joining a local support group. Find out at an early stage stands you in great stead to face the challenges of dementia together.”
Home Instead’s dementia training programme is City & Guilds assured and has even won a Princess Royal Training Award. Care professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond to common dementia symptoms and enable older people to live at home safely and happily.
Home Instead in Ipswich, Woodbridge and Felixstowe run several Dementia support groups for the community, they also have several events going on during Dementia Action Week.
On Tuesday 14th of May, after the Waitrose café at 12pm, Wendy will be set up in the foyer of John Lewis and Waitrose for a couple of hours to provide information and support surrounding Dementia.
Thursday the 16th of May, Wendy will be at the Suffolk Building Society in the Thoroughfare in Woodbridge for people to ask questions and to get support and information between 11 am and 2 pm.
Friday the 17th of May between 2 pm and 4 pm – A Dementia friendly afternoon tea at Notcutts in Woodbridge.
Saturday 18th of May – Dementia Awareness event at the Triangle Bandstand in Felixstowe between 09:30 and 12 pm. This is a unique opportunity to explore the range of services available in our community, with access to local organisations that are offering lots of support and information.
If you’d like to know more about the dementia checklist or the events during Dementia Action Week or would like to learn more about Home Instead’s care services or career opportunities, please visit www.homeinstead.co.uk/ipswich/ or ring 01473 272301
