Dementia Family

When a family member is diagnosed with onset of Dementia, it can be a very worrying time for the individual as well as their family.

Fortunately, there is now a much greater understanding of Dementia and strong support from healthcare professionals and the local community, to help a person living with Dementia to plan ahead, make choices, continue doing the things that make them happy and maintain a good quality of life.

In Herefordshire, there is an extensive network of local support for individuals and families living with Dementia, but it’s not always easy to know where to go for support, or know what kind of support you may need. Dementia Family aims to help with this, by providing information on the local support available to you.

Dementia Family is also a place to find out about Dementia-Friendly events and opportunities for individuals and families to share their experiences through their stories (See ‘Dementia Shared: My Story’ below) and regular coffee meetings.

​The word Dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. These symptoms can be a result of various different conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia.

These symptoms are often small to start with, but for someone living with Dementia they can become severe enough to affect daily life.

Please click on the link below for more information on the different types of Dementia and getting a diagnosis.

You may not consider yourself a carer, but if you are supporting a family member who depends on you, then you are in fact a carer.

This means that you are entitled to support for yourself.

​Herefordshire Carers Support is an invaluable service for family carers, with access to training, discount cards, respite breaks and a host of ideas to help you.

Click the button below to go straight to their website to find out more.

When there has been a diagnosis of Dementia, it can cause concerns for what the future might hold.

​Often individuals are concerned for their family members and want to help reduce the worry by putting in place agreed plans for the future.

These might include nominating a Power of Attorney to a trusted family member to make decisions on their behalf when they can no longer make a decision for themselves.

Click the button to find out more information

The best activities for someone living with Dementia are any activities that they love doing.

It could be an activity or hobby they have always enjoyed or something new that they might like to try.

Do you or your loved one enjoy flowers and gardens, or perhaps singing or dancing? These types of activities can really help stimulate the mind and promote wellbeing.

We have put together some ideas and links to help you to find and take part in  local activities – click the button below to find out more.

People living with Dementia can live happily in their homes, as long as safety measures are in place.

As Dementia progresses, a person’s abilities may change. But with sound expert advice and problem solving, you can adapt the home environment to support these changes.

Hereford has experts in home safety from whom you can easily ask support.

Click on the button below for more information we’ve compiled about home safety. Please get in touch if you need more information.

We will be holding regular Dementia Family coffee mornings so that families of people living with Dementia can get together for coffee, share experiences in a safe, welcoming environment.

Keep an eye on this space for dates / times of these events.

A person living with Dementia may sometimes forget to have a main meal or have difficulty preparing a meal for themselves.

Visiting carers can support people with meal preparation as well as using Meals on Wheels services, where the meals are delivered to the home. Two links are provided below.

Memory Clinics are a part of the memory assessment and monitoring process when a person has been diagnosed with Dementia. You will be given appointments at the Memory Clinic and meet with a Memory Nurse.

​This service is provided by the NHS 2Gether Trust – please click on the link below.

Perri shares the story of her father, who was diagnosed with Dementia, in her own words…

“​All illness is hard to bear, but for some there is no return, coupled with that we have no idea what lies ahead. My dad was diagnosed about 7 years ago, we lost him recently but this was due to other issues.  I can only imagine being in the shoes of one with dementia and my conclusion is that of a bitter, sweet experience. I think my dad knew he was forgetting things like where he was and who certain people were. He would get lost and when you eventually found him he would cry helplessly as he was relived and happy to be found, I guess. There were many situations similar to this but once these scenarios eventually passed they were surpassed by complete oblivion…Almost overnight. In these times I do not believe dad had many lucid moments, so you see this to me is the sweet part. I do not believe this was him and although as we, the ones who dearly love the person, are beside ourselves with worry, emotional heart break, the person goes about their day completely obvious to everything and everyone.

Conclusion…Try to take comfort in the oblivious  stage, as long as the person is comfortable and you can amuse them all is well… ❤️”