Beeline: Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance Magazine, Spring 2016

WHAT WE DO
Your Dementia Friends
In his foreword, Bill Sivewright briefly mentioned the work we are doing
to apply our own standards when it comes to vulnerable adults in the
community. Below we explain more about the training of our team to
become Dementia Friends
uring January, our Lottery Canvassing Team
D
completed their Dementia Friend training.
This friendly, knowledgeable group of
individuals represent the Charity out and about at
supermarket stores and call on people door-to-door, to
promote and encourage people to join our ‘Flight for Life’
weekly lottery.
The aim of the training was not about receiving a
qualification. Instead, its purpose was for our team to
gain a better understanding of dementia, how to identify
the common signs of someone suffering with the disease
and the simple actions to take that will help. Given the
nature of the canvasser’s role within the community,
the training would also help them to identify vulnerable
adults who might unwittingly give consent to payments
they cannot really afford.
Dementia is caused by a number of different diseases
of the brain. The most common is Alzheimer’s but there
are others including Dementia with Lewy Bodies and
Pick’s Disease. Although more people over the age of 65
suffer from dementia, it’s not a natural part of the ageing
process as younger people can have dementia too.
Dementia Friend
training was
so successful
that we plan to
extend it to all
fundraising staff
and volunteers
The team learnt how it can be difficult to tell
if someone has dementia as it affects everyone in
very different ways. Interactive discussions involved
identifying the common symptoms of dementia, which
include short-term memory loss, struggling to plan or
complete tasks, problems with perception, confusion,
indecisiveness and difficulty in reading or following
instructions. The day was deemed a real success and our
team learnt so much in the process. We were so pleased
that we plan to extend the training to include all our
fundraising staff and volunteers. As Bill quite rightly says
in his foreword, as well as being known for our clinical
excellence, we also want to be known as leaders when it
comes to fundraising standards. We think it’s the least
that you deserve!
The Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends initiative
was launched in March 2013. The programme is the
biggest ever initiative to change people’s perception of
dementia. There are currently over one million Dementia
Friends across England and Wales with a long-term
commitment by the Alzheimer’s Society of creating four
million Dementia Friends by 2020.
14 01823 669604 | www.dsairambulance.org.uk