Weybridge Dementia Action Alliance

Help build a Dementia-Friendly Community. Join your Local Dementia Action Alliance group!

Why should we become dementia-friendly?

Currently around 16,252 people live with dementia in Surrey. With thousands of families and friends acting as carers for them, it has become both a social and financial imperative to support people living in their own local communities.

A recent Alzheimer’s Society report* revealed that 28% of people living with dementia said they had had to give up activities such as shopping, exercise and using transport as their communities were not sufficiently dementia-friendly.

Many forward-thinking businesses have begun to make changes in how they interact with their ageing customer base to reduce attrition rates, increase customer loyalty and attract new customers.

What’s more, the public attitude towards dementia is changing too* 47% of people think that dementia-friendly areas would be nicer places for everyone to live in.

*Source: Alzheimer’s Society 2013 report ‘Building dementia-friendly communities: A priority for everyone’

How will organisations benefit?

Once a local organisation has achieved some of its Actions, it can apply for official Working To Become Dementia Friendly status and receive a badge of recognition for its efforts.

Importantly this identifies them to potential clients and customers as being committed to making their business dementia-friendly. Many Members have reported increased footfall, higher sales and increased customer loyalty because of this conferred status.

Membership of the wider Dementia Action Alliance community assures access to case studies, networks and Best Practice – all of which make becoming dementia-friendly even easier.

DAA Members in the Surrey area will additionally benefit from an alliance with the Surrey LDAA, a regional body which promotes cross-borough initiatives and inter-borough projects.

Simple Actions that businesses can take to be more dementia-friendly

• Join the Local Dementia Action Alliance to receive sector specific guidance
• Learn more about dementia by hosting a free, 60-minute Dementia Friends session for your staff
• Request a free dementia guide for customer-facing staff
• Review your business environment using our free Dementia Checklist on recommended signage and facilities
• Use correct language when talking about someone living with dementia, never using negative terms such as ‘sufferer’
• Support staff who have a diagnosis of dementia, or who may be caring for someone living with dementia
• Encourage other business partners to become members of the LDAA through your business networks

How to become an Alliance Member

To become a member of your Local Dementia Action Alliance, you will pledge to undertake at least 3 dementia-friendly Actions within your organisation.

Your Action Plan details how you plan to accomplish this and is then displayed on the Dementia Action Alliance website. You’ll become an Alliance Member of Your Local Dementia Alliance group.

For any help and support with your Action Plan contact Your Local Dementia Action Alliance (details below).

Members Of Weybridge Dementia Action Alliance

Anchor Group Moore Place, Esher
Brooklands Museum, Weybridge
Care UK Tiltwood, Cobham
Care UK Norfolk House, Weybridge
Community Centre, Weybridge
Elmbridge Borough Council – Dementia Services Department
Good Care Group, Surrey – Live In Care Services
Handelsbanken, Weybridge
Home Instead Senior Care, Esher
Meadows Ryan Solicitors, Weybridge
NatWest Bank, Weybridge
St James Church, Weybridge
Signature – Parklands Manor Care Home, Chertsey
Sunrise Senior Living & Care Home, Weybridge
Thames Medical Hub, Walton on Thames
Wiltshire Farm Foods

Dementia News & Events

Here’s a selection of current and past events and news pages concerning dementia in Weybridge and locally.