DEMENTIA CARE
THE BIGDEMENTIA CONVERSATION
Jo Crossland, Head of Dementia and Lifestyle at Care UK, explains how the organisation's new campaign is helping families to communicate with loved ones who are living with dementia, and offers useful tips to help carers support them.
A recent OnePoll survey found that nearly four in 10 people avoid visiting relatives living with dementia because of how emotionally difficult they find it.
Although this may not come as a surprise for those who have worked – or are working in – dementia care, as a sector we nonetheless have a responsibility to ensure that we provide opportunities for families to develop their understanding of the condition. This includes equipping them with knowledge to best support their loved ones throughout their dementia journey.
This is why Care UK, the second largest care provider in the country, is continuing to raise awareness with The Big Dementia Conversation.
In its third year, the campaign continues to offer free resources to help families and friends feel confident in communicating with their loved one as their cognitive impairment increases.
We know, in general, public awareness and understanding of dementia remains low, and most families are unprepared for the future following their loved one’s diagnosis. The right resources, provided at the right time, are crucial to help families to remain connected throughout their relative’s dementia journey.
“37% of adults with relatives living
with dementia are unsure how best to communicate with their loved one.”
Care UK has created a free online advice hub, where my team and I talk with relatives whose lives have been affected by dementia, offering reassurance and helpful guidance that can be accessed at any time.
As part of the advice hub we have created a free downloadable guide, Staying Connected: A guide to dementia-friendly conversations. It is our hope that the new guide will be a helpful resource in providing both information and comfort to people supporting loved ones with this condition, and enable them to feel more confident during everyday discussions as well as when navigating more difficult conversations.
The survey mentioned above, which polled 2,000 adults with relatives living with dementia, found 37% are unsure how best to communicate with their loved one in this new phase of their
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