Living Well with Dementia Event in Knaresborough

Thursday, 21st July 2016

Carol Giblin, Community & HR Coordinator at local specialist care provider Carefound Home Care, recently attended a ‘Living well with Dementia in Knaresborough’ event in North Yorkshire.Home Care Stand Dementia Event

This was a free event and a chance for those living with dementia, their families, friends and carers to learn more about what care and activities are available to them. Nicky Addison, Admiral Nurse in Yorkshire working with local charity, Dementia Forward, was on-hand to give advice about dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Attendees also had the opportunity to try out iMUSE, which is a sensory experience that uses light, music, vibration and colour to help people relax and reduce stress and anxiety.

Families, carers and stall holders took part in a Dancing for Well-Being session, enjoying music, fun and laughter together. Dancing for Well-Being is ideal if you live with mobility problems or dementia as anyone able to attend can dance seated or standing. Jackie Terry who organises this group had us all participating and although we were sitting down it was very energetic and great fun. To find out more visit www.dancingforwellbeing.org.Living Well with Dementia CG

As a local care provider of care at home in the Knaresborough and Harrogate area Carefound Home Care held a dementia awareness stall at the event which received a great deal of interest from other health professionals who were particularly interested to learn more about the team’s live-in care service which acts as an alternative to residential care homes. The benefits of live-in care for a person or couple living with dementia includes being able to remain at home with their husband / wife or partner in a familiar environment where anxiety can be reduced and truly person centred care can be delivered by qualified carers. Other benefits may be that live-in care can offer genuine continuity of care, the client receives 1.1 care and family and friends can visit whenever they wish.

As ever it was wonderful to see other key partners amongst the expert care teams in Knaresborough and Harrogate such as:

  • Sheena Murthwick from Harrogate District Hospital. Sheena is the Ward Sister on Byland Ward and was promoting the Butterfly Scheme to enable patients with dementia to have a more comfortable experience in hospital if they are admitted to the ward
  • Yvonne Taylor from North Yorkshire Police who was promoting The Herbert Protocol – information intended to assist care workers, families, partner agencies and the police if a vulnerable person with Dementia goes missing (you can find out more here: www.northyorkshire.police.uk/herbertprotocol)
  • Jill Quinn from Dementia Forward and Alison Wrigglesworth from Alzheimer’s Society who work hard to promote what facilities, activities and care is available to those living with dementia, their families and carers