1. Dementia Friendly Sheffield
Kath Horner

2. This presentation is about developing Sheffield as a dementia friendly city. This is also a story about a journey and the people, communities, networks and organisations who are available to support this quest.
Darnall Dementia Group, Age UK, SCCCC, Sanctuary Housing, South Yorkshire Housing Association, Sheltered Housing, WRVS, Alzheimers Sheffield, Memory Clinic
Primarily, we are talking about early symptoms of dementia and this might include:
Loss of memory
Forgetting the way home from the shops
Unable to remember names and places or what happened earlier in the day
Mood changes
Feelings of feeling sad, frightened, angry

3. The DFC journey began in December 2012
The DFC journey began in December We worked with SOAR, SCC Housing, Sanctuary Housing, Park View Residential Care Home, Alzheimer’s Society and a range of local businesses.
We found communities and individuals who showed us they had heaps of social intelligence and understanding about people who have dementia. They showed us they have big hearts in wanting to develop the area as dementia friendly. They also showed me the courage of their convictions.
We have proceeded one step at a time:
Been to speak with retail outlets to raise dementia awareness. Plans to develop training
Ensuring dementia information in GP practices, memory clinic, community centres.
High Green – DF sheltered housing.
DVD animation about DFC being delivered by Hallam University with Park View Care Home.
Intergenerational work with Hinde House School.
Dementia awareness campaign in Sheffield pharmacies.
Meeting arranged with Memory Clinic to ask people what they consider will make a DF city.
Walk round Shiregreen with SCC planners to audit barriers.

4. The symptoms of dementia take you from one place to the next – without asking. Dorothy always wanted to get home. That home, community or neighbourhood should be one that:
Enables people with dementia to be able to be open and honest about having dementia.
People who may come into contact with people with dementia are aware of professionals and organisations who can help and know how to contact them.
Dementia is talked about in schools.
People with dementia are not actively excluded from activities and groups.
Resources and materials are available that support people to interact more with people with dementia.
Mechanisms are in place through which the community can understand what living with dementia means.

5. Dementia – represented here as the bad witch - may make people who have it disempowered from the world that they once knew. But there are steps we can take to make this part of the journey less frightening.
We need communities where people with dementia are able to live as well and as ‘normally’ as they can.
Communities that do not put obstacles in the way.
Communities that do not judge or marginalise.
A community that actively supports people to achieve these relatively modest ambitions and seeks to dismantle barriers that block assimilation into community life.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this work has been to discover Community Connectors. People who live in Firth Park and Shiregreen who naturally hold the c
community and individuals together by being ‘who they are’.
Connectors have a natural curiosity about people. Questions are asked and a conversation spontaneously takes off. Gifts are shared and a new friend is made. Gifts and capacities are aligned to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. Community partners are created and mutual interests are met that directly involve and benefit residents. Sometimes bridge building is needed and a connector is the contractor initiating its construction, relationship by relationship.

6. The Good Witch provided Dorothy with a lifeline
The Good Witch provided Dorothy with a lifeline. If we are to provide people with dementia a lifeline in a Sheffield DF city we need to:
Establish a Dementia Alliance. Been in contact with Police, Fire, Atkinson’s, SYHA, Sheffield Theatres, Sheffield University. Working with regional Alzheimers Society to take forward in Sheffield.
The importance of early diagnosis.
Sheffield needs both money and permission to look at something different other than anonymous wards, staff in uniforms, heavy medication, crowded day rooms, locked doors, non-stop TV
In Holland a compact, self-contained model village, half of it open space, wide boulevards, cosy side streets, squares, sheltered courtyards, gardens, wild flowers. This is a village solely for people with dementia and the emphasis is on having as much fun as possible.

7. The Munchkins here depict the whole community and how it can help take forward this work.
Dementia is everybody’s business and I would like to ask members of the Older Peoples Network whether
You can work towards a dementia friendly kite mark?
Get involved with developing Sheffield as a dementia friendly city.