Dementia Action Week

Aim

To improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia & their carers this dementia action week

Dementia Action Week 17th-23rd May

This year for Dementia Action Week, Age Exchange are committing to raising a minimum of £1,000 which could enable us to provide support to at least 10 more people living with dementia & their carers. Our Aviva project target of £5,000 could help us to reach up to 400 more people!

Age Exchange has supported people living with dementia and their carers for over 38 years through reminiscence arts and wellbeing projects. Our Caring Together Service provides opportunities for wellbeing activities, arts, socialising and peer to peer support for 150 people living with dementia and their carers through 11 different groups in Blackheath, Lambeth and Manchester.

"I feel I’m not forgotten." 

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, we provided a virtual day care service, including reminiscence activity boxes, telephone befriending, singing & movement DVDs and information & signposting services to all of our participants in the safety of their own homes. 

In the first few months of the pandemic, we received 5 times the number of referrals we would receive in a normal year.

This picture only worsened throughout the course of the pandemic as carers witnessed their loved ones diagnosis progress at an alarming rate due to long periods of isolation and loneliness due to restrictions and shielding.

We know that we have a lot of work to do in helping people living with dementia & their carers to feel confident in engaging with the outside world once again. Our services play a vital role in this transition phase and we are pleased to have now welcomed back participants to smaller and shorter in person reminiscence arts and wellbeing activity groups since 4th May 2021. 

We need your help to be able to continue delivering our services in the post-pandemic world. Age Exchange now face the toughest challenge yet; an increase in demand for our services and less funding available to charities throughout the UK due to the financial burden of the pandemic.

"I genuinely look forward to coming out and meeting everybody. It was the highlight of my week before the pandemic."

What could £1,000 help Age Exchange to achieve?

• £1,000 could fund a whole day of Day Care for 35 people living with dementia & their carers
• £1,000 could pay for a one-to-one support session for 10 people living with dementia
• £1,000 could fund 50 afternoons of targeted dementia activities 
• £1,000 could pay for 100 couples transport to a carers support group

"It helps a lot. Since my husband died last year, I felt I got the help I needed if I felt all alone."   

"It gives you confidence. And it's good to know that someone is interested in your welfare."

"They talk me through things when things are bad. I have 'dark moods', they help me."

Thank you for supporting people living with dementia & their carers!

This project successfully funded on 16th June 2021