A HOUSING association is taking steps to address the increasing number of people with dementia in local communities.

Broadacres already has several staff who have undergone training, but now it has its first Dementia Friends Champion.

Lynn Tompkinson, manager of Broadacres’ ABLE Centre in Colburn, near Catterick, has received training to become a champion, meaning she can now run sessions to help people understand what it’s like to live with dementia and actions they can take.

It is part of an initiative by the Alzheimer’s Society to make communities more dementia-friendly.

The ABLE Centre caters for people with a range of disabilities, including those with dementia, autism, and physical disabilities. Lynn says they are increasingly getting more people into the day centre who have dementia.

Lynn said: “By training and working with people with dementia, you learn what we can all do to promote a dementia-friendly environment.

“At The ABLE Centre, for example, we do a lot of reminiscence work and encourage people to share their life stories and skills, which can bring back happy memories, feelings of belonging, inclusion and self-worth.

“We have also learned to understand that there may be triggers that can upset people with dementia, such as trying to be too helpful in doing things they can still do for themselves. We also find distraction technique can be helpful to calm situations.

“No two people with dementia are the same and it is important to always be understanding, caring and empathetic, whilst still remembering you are dealing with an individual whose needs, desires and ambitions may have changed but are as important to that person as they ever were.”