Dementia Café Serves Up Support

A Lancashire care home is serving up regular support for the community on issues relating to dementia.

The Dementia Café initiative has been set up by Springhill Care Home in Accrington, to provide information and advice for relatives and friends of residents, as well as anyone wanting to learn more about the condition.

Springhill is welcoming people into the home on a monthly basis to discuss issues and share knowledge and experiences over a cup of tea or coffee.

Bernadette Bennett, service manager at Springhill, said: “We want people to know they don’t have to face the difficult challenges of dementia alone.

“By providing a place where people can come and share their experiences or learn more about the condition, we hope to create a network within a supportive environment which people can rely on.”

The term dementia describes a set of symptoms including memory loss, mood changes and difficulties communicating. It is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.

Approximately 80 per cent of people living in care homes have a form of dementia. By 2025, it’s expected there will be one million people with the condition in the UK.

Nicky Cassidy from the Alzheimer’s Society will be in attendance at the first meeting, which takes place on January 27.