2014 – The year of dementia training and awareness

The Shropshire Health and Wellbeing Board have fully backed the proposal to make 2014 in Shropshire the year of dementia training and awareness. The decision was taken at the full board meeting on 22 November.

The idea behind the proposal took hold in October at a workshop to see how to improve care and awareness and to see if the Dementia Implementation Plan was on the right track.

Dementia occurs because of any one of a number of diseases that affect the brain, the most common being Alzheimer’s. Other diseases include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and Pick’s disease. A series of small strokes can also cause dementia.

There are about 800,000 people in the UK with dementia.

Karen Calder, Shropshire Council Cabinet member for health, said:

“Raising awareness and understanding of dementia is a very worthy aim and I’m proud to support this plan. Improving public knowledge of dementia and how people can help affected loved ones is increasingly important.”

Evidence indicates that a healthy diet and lifestyle can reduce a person’s risk of developing dementia. Increasing public understanding how to live with dementia and care for those who suffer from it is a key aim of the plan for 2014.