A dementia friendly community can be defined as “a city, town, or village where people with dementia are understood, respected, and supported and are confident they can contribute to community life. In a dementia friendly community people will be aware of and understand dementia and people with dementia will feel included and involved and have choice and control over their day-to-day lives.”
Dementia friendly communities are those in which people with dementia have the best possible opportunities to live well. Everyone can help make a dementia friendly community, from local councils, shops, business, churches, we all have a part to play in creating communities where people with dementia feel active, engaged, and valued.
With the help of Love Treorchy and a grant from the RCT Dementia Prevention Fund, much progress has been made on making Treorchy dementia friendly. Pamphlets outlining the initiative were delivered by hand to most of the town’s businesses. Many owners/employees have attended “dementia friends” training sessions at the Parc and Dare Theatre to help them understand the condition. The initiative was launched at the Parc and Dare on the 30th April and in attendance were the local Councillor Bob Harris, RCT Mayor, Councillor Wendy Lewis, representatives of Treorchy’s shops/businesses, Rhondda Rotary President Ann Balby and members of Rhondda Rotary, The guests were treated to a lovely buffet and entertained by Vivienne Evans-Lees, a pupil at Ysgol Cwm Rhondda, who won the local round of the Rotary Young Vocalist competition. DFT badges were handed out and window clings presented to those shops/businesses that are offering support by Mayor Wendy Lewis. There will be further engagement with shops/businesses that have yet to support the initiative, with the aim to get as many on board as possible.
