0. Dementia Friends
Geraldine Flavell

1. Housekeeping Introduction Fire alarm and exits Toilets
Phones and devices
Evaluation forms

2. Ground rules Arrive on time, start on time Come prepared
Take part to the best of your ability
Listen actively
Share your own experiences
Respect others’ opinions and treat others’ contributions with respect
Allow others chance to speak
Keep side conversations to a minimum
Maintain confidentiality within the group
Finish on time

3. Hopes and concerns
Approximately one in three people are, or have been, touched by dementia in some way. If you would like to share anything with me at the end of the session or need to leave the room at any point, please feel free to do so.
What to do if people get upset during a session?
- Offer time out.
- Remember it’s okay to cry – and people cry for all sorts of reasons.
- Talk to the person at the end and signpost to relevant services if necessary.

4. National context
It is estimated that __________ people in the UK have dementia.
There are at least __________ younger people with dementia (aged under 65 years) in the UK.
Up to a _________ of hospital beds are occupied by people aged over 65 years with dementia at any one time.
The financial cost of dementia to the UK is £____ billion a year.
Ask the audience to fill the gaps – ask them to shout out the missing numbers.

5. National context
It is estimated that 850,000 people in the UK have dementia
There are at least 40,000 younger people with dementia (aged under 65 years) in the UK
Up to a quarter of hospital beds are occupied by people aged over 65 years with dementia at any one time
The financial cost of dementia to the UK is £26 billion a year
See note in the facilitators’ guide about the update to the statistics in the focal point programme; these slides contain updated information.
Slide reveals point by point on each click
It is estimated that 850,000 people are living with dementia in the United Kingdom. Ref. Alzheimer’s Society website:
About 40,000 people with dementia are aged under 65 years. Ref. Alzheimer’s Society website:
Up to a quarter of hospital beds are occupied by people with dementia over 65 at any one time.
Ref. Alzheimer’s Society:
The financial cost of dementia to the UK is £26.3 billion a year.
This breaks down as:
Unpaid care: £11.6 billion
Health care: £4.3 billion
State social care: £4.5 billion
Individual social care: £5.8 billion Other costs: £0.1 billion
Ref. Alzheimer’s Society:
Reference: Alzheimer’s Society

6. Dementia Friends information session

7. What is Dementia Friends about?
Dementia Friends is a national initiative that aims to improve people's understanding of dementia and its effects. It is funded by the Alzheimer’s Society.
The Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, talks and acts about the condition. Dementia touches the lives of millions of people across the UK. Dementia Friends was launched to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding that means many people with the condition experience loneliness and social exclusion.
Dementia Friends is about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help.
During the session encourage group interaction, but remember it is alright to say you don’t know an answer and to point participants to where they can get further information (eg, by using the websites or contact details on the infocard that will be handed out to participants at the end of the session).

8. Dementia Friends – aims
Recruit four million Dementia Friends by 2020
Challenge the stigma and improve understanding of dementia and its effects
Support the ambition to create dementia friendly communities
Dementia Friends is a key part of the dementia friendly communities programme that focuses on improving inclusion and quality of life for people with dementia.
A dementia friendly community is one in which people with dementia and their family and carers feel confident, knowing they can contribute and participate in activities that are meaningful to them.
The idea is to achieve this by improving the understanding of dementia (Dementia Friends) and turning this understanding into practical action to help people with dementia to live well in their communities (dementia friendly communities).

9. What is a Dementia Friend?
People with dementia sometimes need a helping hand to go about their daily lives and feel included in their local community.
A Dementia Friend is someone who:
understands a bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and how they can help
commits to action to turn their understanding into practical action that could help someone with dementia living in their community.
No action is too big or too small, for example:
• helping someone to find the right bus
• helping someone with their change
• spreading the word about dementia.

10. What is a Dementia Friends Champion?
A Dementia Friends Champion (DFC) runs information sessions for people in their personal networks or communities. They do this after taking the Dementia Friends Champions training run by Alzheimer's Society (one day).
Some of you may be inspired to become a DFC yourself so that you can recruit more Dementia Friends to this important initiative.

11. Five key messages about dementia
Timed slide – click once
These are the five key messages of dementia that form the basis of this information session – this is what we would like everyone to know about dementia.

12. Your turn to do something!
Activity – Bingo
Your turn to do something!
Choose either the ‘Broken sentences’ or ‘Bingo’ activity from the Dementia Friends session activities.
See latest Dementia Friends Champions information sheet for your chosen activity
This activity will start to bring the five key messages about dementia to life.

13. Key message 1 – dementia is not a natural part of growing old
As you grow older do you find:
you forget people’s names more easily?
words don’t come as easily?
you get to the top of the stairs and think, “What did I come up here for?”
your brain generally does not seem quite as ‘whizzy’ as it used to be?
If so, DON’T WORRY – THIS IS NORMAL!
Key message 1: Dementia is NOT a natural part of growing old

14. However, if it starts to affect your daily life, for example:
forgetting whole events or conversations, not just names and details
finding that memories do not come back even with prompting
getting lost in familiar, rather than new, places
finding it difficult to keep up with events and becoming disorientated
having problems completing simple tasks
frequently repeating conversations
showing signs of progression in terms of frequency and severity of problems
Consult your doctor
But dementia is a different sort of forgetfulness.
People with dementia may:
forget whole events and do not remember even on prompting or later on
appear confused even in a familiar environment – or lose track of the date or where they are
struggle with familiar daily tasks – such as following instructions or paying for groceries
find it hard to follow a conversation
seem frustrated, sad or withdrawn – or lose interest in meeting people or in hobbies
experience mood changes and confusion.
If you are worried or concerned about someone else, try to encourage them to see their GP and offer to go with them for support.

15. Key message 2 – dementia is caused by diseases of the brain
Dementia is the result of brain cells being damaged in an ongoing way.
This happens as a result of a number of different diseases, sometimes referred to as‘types’of dementia.
Key message 2 - dementia is caused by diseases of the brain

16. Types of dementia
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease in which changes in the chemistry and structure of the brain cause brain cells to die.
The reason people mostly associate dementia with memory loss is probably because the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, usually begins with memory loss – this is because the first changes in the brain are usually in the part that controls memory and learning. So the first thing that people tend to notice is their own or another person’s short-term memory. It also becomes difficult to learn new things.
So almost 80 percent of dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia – and these two also form the largest component of ‘mixed dementia’.

17. Conditions that may be mistaken for dementia
Delirium
Anaemia, low blood sugar, diarrhoea/constipation, medicines or combinations of medicines, infection, post-surgery
Depression
Pain
Poor sight or hearing
Tumours
Vitamin B deficiency
Underactive thyroid gland
Head injury
Sudden life changes

18. Key message 3 – dementia is not just about losing your memory
‘Dementia’ is a term used to describe a group of symptoms. Core symptoms
Key message 3 - dementia is not just about losing your memory

19. Some symptoms of dementia
Core features – difficulty with:
memory – new learning
thinking – drawing everything together
communication – language and understanding
functioning – difficulties with everyday tasks – planning, concentrating, organising and decision-making.
Specific difficulties with:
spatial awareness
perception
mood or behaviour.
Symptoms are variable but overall dementia is progressive
Functioning; for example, making a cup of tea:
it becomes hard to think and work out how to do ordinary tasks that are usually done without thinking
it becomes hard to concentrate and focus on tasks
people begin to lose track when undertaking a task with multiple stages.
In addition to the core features there may be specific problems that vary from person to person and between types of dementias.
Every year we understand more about dementia, and develop new strategies that can help to boost someone's confidence and maintain their independence for as long as possible.

20. Key message 4 – it is possible to live well with dementia

21. Key message 5 – there is more to a person than their dementia
Each person with dementia will respond to the difficulties they experience in an individual way
“I will remember that each person with dementia is an individual with their own story and treat them accordingly.”
For some people having a range of difficulties in memory and thinking can result in a person feeling:
Frustrated Angry
Distressed Alone
Upset Frightened
Key message 5 - there’s more to a person than their dementia.

22. The bookshelf model Memories: In a person with dementia:
are like books on a bookshelf
stored over time
most recent on top
hippocampus – factual data (flimsy piece of wood, poorly constructed)
amygdala – emotions and feelings (firm, well constructed oak bookcase).
In a person with dementia:
bookshelf wobbles
top shelf books affected first
progressively lower books fall.
See latest Dementia Friends Champions information sheet.
A useful way to explain the progression of memory loss and emotions.
You will find a short video of this being delivered at:

23. Communicating with a person with dementia
Ask first and smile
Listen carefully – give the person time to respond
Maintain eye contact
Speak calmly and clearly
Use short sentences giving a small amount of information
Use open body language
Offer support
Consider feelings
Show respect
You will find a factsheet and audio about communication at:
Signpost people to the CPPE e-learning programme Consulting with people living with dementia.
Ask first – if a person appears to be confused or struggling then ask if you can help. A friendly smile can help to put someone at ease.
Listen carefully – give your full attention. Encourage them and allow extra time for a reply. Look for non-verbal cues in expressions and gestures.
Be clear – maintain eye contact. Speak calmly in short, simple sentences. Use open, reassuring body language.
Offer support – help the person retain independence by doing things with them, not for them. Be patient, flexible and tolerant.
Consider feelings – someone with dementia will often remember how they felt more than what you said.
Show respect – try to see the person, not the dementia.
But actually communicating with someone with dementia is not that different to communicating with anyone. So if you have good communication skills you will be able to communicate well and help someone with dementia. You may just need to take a little more time.

24. Your turn to do something again!
Who’s right?
Your turn to do something again!
Choose either the ‘Who’s right’ or ‘Making a nice cup of tea’ activity from the Dementia Friends session activities.
See latest Dementia Friends Champions information sheet.
This activity encourages personal reflection and reinforces the five key messages.

25. Five key messages about dementia – recap
Timed slide – click once
These are the five key messages that everyone should know about dementia

26. Opportunities for pharmacy
Community pharmacists and their teams are well placed, at the heart of local communities
Over 1.8 million people visit a community pharmacy in the UK each day
Public health
Raise awareness and signpost people and carers
Early identification and support
Medicines optimisation – not just about antipsychotics!
Just simply about helping people – it’s what we do all the time!
Ask participants to discuss in their groups some actions they could take to help people with dementia.
This slide contains some suggested actions that pharmacy professionals and their teams could take to make a difference.

27. Congratulations! You are now a Dementia Friend
Wear your Dementia Friends badge with pride and let people know what it means.
Be inspired and use your Dementia Friends information card to remind you about the five key messages about dementia.
Visit: to sign up as a Dementia Friend and register your action (session code: DementiaFriend123).
Understand the role you can play in creating dementia friendly communities.
Consider becoming a Dementia Friends Champion.
Hand out the Dementia Friends badges and information cards.
Register as a Dementia Friend
Ask participants to register as a Dementia Friend at: – use the session code DementiaFriend123
Action mailers
Hand out the action mailers and use the action mailer instructions within the session planning section of the Dementia Friends Champions resource pages to encourage people to record their actions.

28. Signposting Alzheimer’s Society: www.alzheimers.org.uk
Factsheets and leaflets
Training and resources
Discussion forums
Memory cafés and singing for the brain
Befriending services
Dementia Friends:
Dementia UK:
Dementia Action Alliance:
Age UK:
NICE dementia pathway, guidelines, technology appraisals, quality standards:

30. www.cppe.ac.uk info@cppe.ac.uk 0161 778 4000
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