Dementia-friendly town plan to be launched

Westbury’s Dementia Friendly Town plan will be launched at Westbury Junior School on Thursday 24th  May, at 10.30am.  The plan has been led by the BA13 Community Area Partnership, on behalf of the Westbury Area Board’s health and wellbeing group.

The aim of the Westbury Community Area Dementia Action Alliance (WCA DAA) is to make sure that everyone in the Westbury area living with dementia can live well.

The action group meets quarterly at Abbeyfield House on the Bratton Road throughout the year and has worked closely with Alzheimer’s Support, the White Horse Surgery and other town organisations and individuals to make Westbury dementia-friendly.

The aim is that people with a diagnosis and their carers are respected and enabled to continue to participate in their own community, as well as possible, for as long as possible.

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.

Organisers say, “Westbury Junior School, the Catholic Church, our local Link organisation and others have all undergone Dementia Friends training over the last year and the White Horse Surgery and Alzheimer’s Support continuously work closely together to improve access to diagnostic and support services for people with dementia and their carers. We have one or two trained Champions, though we need more volunteers to fulfil the need – so please get in touch if you are interested or need more information.

“We would be pleased to welcome any other town business or organisation who wants to be part of the launch or the action plan to contact us, so we can send you the Dementia Alliance form, where you pledge your commitment to making Westbury a more dementia- friendly community.

“All the shops who signed up to the ‘Safe Places’ scheme several years ago were encouraged to take part in the training of their staff when the launch took place and this offer is still ongoing, so again, please get in touch. For those who complete the pledge sign up, we have an even bigger sticker for your window!”

For information please email BA13plus@outlook.com and Phil McMullen will be pleased to send you further information or answer any of your queries.