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Dementia Friendly Lancashire

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A strategy to tackle dementia across Lancashire has been launched at County Hall, Preston.

Public health experts from Lancashire County Council outlined the new strategy, called Dementia Friendly Lancashire at the event, which took place on Thursday 5 July.

The plan has been developed by staff from across the county council to work towards becoming a Dementia Friendly county. It sets out how organisations will work together to tackle dementia between 2018 and 2023.

Raising awareness of all types of dementia, reducing stigma, promoting early intervention and diagnosis, and supporting people to live independently are some of the aims set out in the strategy.

Staff from the county council, including adult care and trading standards officers, provided updates at the launch on how they support people with dementia.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue service also discussed its work with the council’s over 50’s forum.

Research suggests that there are currently around 15,500 people living with dementia in Lancashire. This figure is set to rise by 27% by 2026, due to population growth in the older age groups.

County Councillor Shaun Turner, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “The new strategy is a key part of our plans to become a Dementia Friendly county and to continue to work closely with other organisations to address dementia.

“We’ll do this by focusing on raising awareness, reducing stigma and ensuring people who are affected by dementia are aware of the support provided in the community.

“We’ve carried out extensive research and consulted people with dementia, their families and the organisations that support them to put this strategy together.

“It was interesting to discuss our plans and find out how the organisations we work with are supporting people with dementia at the launch event.”

The county council helps to reduce some of the most common types of dementia by encouraging people to have health checks, manage their weight, become more physically active and by addressing loneliness and isolation.

For more information about the Dementia Friendly Lancashire strategy, you can watch this video clip from the Health Scrutiny Committee meeting: connect.lancashire.public-i.tv/site/mg_bounce.php?mg_a_id=59684&mg_m_id=7636

Copies of the Dementia Friendly Lancashire Strategy are available at:council.lancashire.gov.uk/documents/s136226/Enc.%201%20for%20Lancashire%20Dementia%20Strategy%20Dementia%20Friendly%20Lancashire%202018-2023.pdf

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