Understanding illness key to helping (From York Press)

Understanding illness key to helping

10:11am Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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I’d like to draw the attention of readers of The Press to a new campaign from the Department of Health and the Alzheimer's Society to raise awareness of dementia by challenging stereotypes and breaking down preconceptions about the condition.

You may have seen the TV adverts which feature real people who declare: “I have dementia – I also have a life.”

We are not, of course, attempting to downplay the experiences of those having difficulty coping with dementia, but to show that with the right care and support, people are able to live well with the condition, and to lead as fulfilling and enriching life as possible.

Our research shows that too often people are uncomfortable around those who have dementia, which means they tend to avoid them, which in turn makes people with dementia feel isolated and stigmatised. Yet it is a condition that one-in-three people over 65 will develop and currently affects almost 56,000 people across Yorkshire and the Humber alone.

The campaign asks people to take a few simple steps to help people living with dementia, such as focusing on what the person can do, not what they can’t, and treating them with dignity and respect.

I can assure you that here in Yorkshire and the Humber we are committed to doing just that, and I ask you to join us in increasing understanding.

Because the more we understand, the more we can help.

Nicki Dyson, Alzheimer’s Society area manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, Holgate Villa, Holgate Road, York.