Understand Together is a national public support, awareness and information campaign aimed at inspiring people from all sections of society to stand together with the 500,000 Irish people whose families have been touched by dementia. The aim is to help create an Ireland that embraces and includes people living with dementia, and which displays solidarity with them and their loved ones. The campaign is led by the HSE working with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Genio . It has garnered support from over 30 partners from the health, education, public service, business, voluntary and community sectors.  It is funded by the State and The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Phase 1 October 2016- March 2017 OBJECTIVES: People in Ireland are more aware of what dementia is, how it does and does not affect people, what people with dementia and their family and carers need Ireland has a new and recognisable brand to represent connected support for our dementia journey Increased knowledge of what causes dementia and action being taken to reduce lifestyle risk factors in the population

Key elements for Phase 1 Marketing - Radio, Out of Home, Digital and Social Media Public Relations Programme www.understandtogether.ie microsite Posters, Buttons Badges and Materials for Sharing Social media calendar of posts and content Partner Activities, Resources, Promotions ‘We have started this movement – you can get involved’

Campaign Messages

Anyone of us can get dementia Everyone of us can help by understanding more People with dementia are individuals from all backgrounds with a variety of needs and desires Behind the stats are ourselves, our mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, husbands, brothers, friends and neighbours, workmates. Having dementia in Ireland today often involves a lot of fear, loneliness, and silence – we are all a little afraid of dementia and not sure how to be around people with dementia ‘This is me, this could be me, people like me’

2. Dementia – what it is and what it isn’t It’s not a normal part of ageing Dementia is caused by diseases that affect the brain It can involve memory problems, personality changes, increasing difficulty in managing day to day, difficulty with problem solving and confusion. ‘Each person’s dementia experience is as individual as they are’  

3. A lot of people in Ireland are affected by dementia Over 550,000 have had a family member with dementia Approx 55,000 people are living with dementia Over 1 in every 10 people with dementia are aged under 65 11 people are diagnosed with dementia every day in Ireland Prevalence is to double by 2030 due in part to our ageing population ‘We are living longer – more of us will get dementia – people like me’

4. Every one of us can play a part Compassion and understanding Seeing the person not the disease, they have an illness, but they are still there Life goes on with dementia and while it is a challenge, like with any disease, there is joy and quality of life for people with dementia and their loved ones Supportive communities and services can play a big part in making lives better ‘There are many everyday things we can all do to have a real, positive impact on the lives of people with dementia and their loved ones’

Creative Assets

Logo Our logo is the symbol of our campaign, of our strong network of partners , and of our aim to create a society that understands and stands with people with dementia and their loved ones. The first phase of this campaign will include a focus on sharing this symbol and introducing people in Ireland to our shared purpose.

How will the campaign and the new symbol be shared and seen? Advertising – Out of Home Campaign Social Media – Calendar of posts: messages and images Posters and Badges – available for all partners organisations and local communities and health services, individuals – a symbol of suppport Campaign resources – Leaflet, Infographic Website www.understandtogether.ie Partners – all are welcome and encouraged to use, display and share our materials over the coming months Brand Guidelines provided to all partners, downloadable assets, materials to order online

Social Media Our campaign will use social media to share our ideas, our messages, our partnership activities, and our personal stories Our hashtag will be #understandtogether For Phase 1, our tweets will come from @HSELive and our Facebook posts from HSEIreland and will use content from our key messages above, and our imagery and photography. Sample Post:11 people a day develop dementia. People who are just like you. It’s time to stand together with the 55,000 people living with dementia. Visit understandtogether.ie for more. We will share our content calendar with all partners in advance. Please follow, share and repost, and let us know your plans so that we can reciprocate  

Partnerships Academic Commercial Transport Voluntary/Community Ageing sector Professional bodies Representative Orgs

The campaign is building partnerships with a wide network of national and local organisations including the voluntary and community sector, academia, business, faith, culture and sports – here are some of our new partners:

Launch Bringing partners and key stakeholders together Starting the journey and inviting others to join in

24th October 2016 Campaign launch at City Hall, Dublin Professor Brian Lawlor, Ronan Smith and Margot McCambridge from our Steering Group People with Dementia and Carers People working in the dementia sector, carers Leaders from the HSE, Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, Genio Partners and Stakeholders, Media

www.understandtogether.ie

www.understandtogether.ie Highlighting new campaign Brand awareness Dementia information Signposting Partner profiles Training GP information National Dementia Office Research and Resources Phase 2 of the campaign will include many new online services and information points

Get in touch Nicola Donnelly National Dementia Campaign Manager HSE Communications Division, Dr. Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin D08 W2A8, Tel: 01 635 2478 /087 0985529 Email: nicola.donnelly1@hse.ie www.understandtogether.ie www.hse.ie/dementia Get in touch