WESTBURY’S Dementia Friendly Town Plan was launched last month, celebrating the work achieved so far and the vision to ensure that everyone in the Westbury area living with dementia can live well.
Members of the BA13 Community Area Partnership, who have led the plan on behalf of the Westbury Area Board’s health and wellbeing group, were joined at the launch by staff and pupils of Westbury Junior School and representatives from the White Horse Health Centre, Westbury Area Board, Alzheimer’s Support, and the Alzheimer’s Society; who have all contributed to the initiative.
With the plan now officially launched, the group is looking for more people in the community to sign up to the Westbury Community Area Dementia Action Alliance.
Businesses and organisations can undertake actions that are aimed specifically at people living with dementia and their carers, or they can commit to making their services and activities generally more dementia-friendly, so that people living with dementia continue to feel able to participate in their community.
“BA13 is really pleased to launch our official welcome to a dementia-friendly Westbury,” said BA13 member Carole King.
“To all the shops, organisations and businesses in Westbury, make a pledge. The more people who know how to support people with dementia, the better and more friendly our town will be.”
Speaking about the contribution the White Horse Health Centre has made to the plan, clinical lead Rachel Walters said, “I joined the practice in January and since then ,we have written a dementia strategy for the practice using evidence and NICE guidelines and have put them into action.
“We have been working to make the practice dementia-friendly and to improve the pathways to diagnosis and getting support for those people living with dementia. As dementia champion for the centre, I will be helping all staff go through the Dementia Friends training.”
For more information about the Westbury Community Area Dementia Action Alliance please email BA13plus@outlook.com.
Picture: Westbury’s Dementia Friendly Town Plan is launched by the BA13 Community Area Partnership and their supporters.
Picture: BA13’s Carole King with clinical lead, Rachel Walters, and practice manager, Mark Dickson, from the White Horse Health Centre.
