In Bruges, Belgium, more than 90 shops display an image of a knotted red handkerchief in the window. The logo is the brainchild of charity Foton and indicates to people with dementia that staff can assist compassionately.
As the baby boomer generation ages and people live longer than ever, rates of dementia are expected to increase over the next few decades; by 2030, some 75.6 million people worldwide will have the disease.
There are already more than 200 dementia-friendly communities in England and Wales, helping people with the condition to maintain their independence and dignity, and London aims to become the world’s first dementia-friendly capital by 2020.
But what makes a dementia-friendly community? How can the public sector workforce and members of society learn to recognise the signs of dementia? What roles can the voluntary sector and retail and service industries play? And how can we provide better support for carers?
Join us on Tuesday 23 May, from 12-1.30pm, to answer these questions and more.
Panel
Nigel Hullah, dementia policy thinktank member
Louise Marks, dementia policy & development officer, Carers Trust
Katherine Vero, founder, Slow Shopping
Nigel Franklin, chief executive, Arts 4 Dementia
Juliet Bligh, principal consultant, Institute of Public Care
Vicky Cockerill, academic lead for nursing and mental health, University of Derby Online Learning
Lenny Shallcross, head of community engagement, Alzheimer’s Society
Jane Moore, co-founder, The Purple Angel
Suzanne Mumford, principal consultant, Care Prepared
Steve Milton, director, Innovations in Dementia
The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). You may also get in touch via katherine.purvis@theguardian.com or @GdnSocialCare.
