MORE than 1,000 people have signed up for a scheme designed to help spread awareness and understanding of dementia.

Schools, care homes and businesses in Llandudno have all signed up to the Alzheimer Society’s Dementia Friends scheme through town's hospital.

The hour-long training sessions, hosted by Dementia Support Workers Amanda Lloyd and Rachel Richards and the hospital’s Dementia lead Anita Hagin, help participants better understand the condition.

The Dementia Friends programme also shares practical advice about how to support people living with the condition in their everyday lives.

Amanda said: “It’s really about raising awareness of what Dementia is and how we can be more understanding and supportive to people who it affects.

Staff at the town’s ASDA superstore

“It’s not just about being mindful of people with dementia - it’s also important to consider the support their friends, families and carers need.

“Just spending an hour talking about it makes a real difference, and we’ve had wonderful feedback from most of the participants about how it’s changed their perceptions and understanding of what Dementia is.”

Dementia Friends training in Llandudno has been run by Rachel and Amanda since May 2017.

Staff from the Health Board’s Mental Health Division

Rachel said: “I was originally asked to go to a dementia friendly meeting at Abergele library, where I met Jo Lane, the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friendly Communities Co-ordinator, and we’ve never looked back since.

“It’s starting to have a positive effect on the community, for example we’ve been out and spoken to a local supermarket which is now looking at how the store can be re-organised to be more dementia friendly.

“Over the last year other hospitals have heard about the progress we’ve made and have been encouraged to also go out into their respective communities and share advice and guidance."

Rachel added: “There’s a really positive attitude from NHS sites across North Wales towards dementia. It’s not just here where a lot of work is being put in to helping people better understand how dementia affects people’s lives.”