{"id":71,"date":"2016-06-15T15:11:11","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T15:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vdfca.com\/?p=71"},"modified":"2016-10-04T09:00:53","modified_gmt":"2016-10-04T09:00:53","slug":"vdfca-launch-tuesday-14th-june-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vdfca.com\/index.php\/2016\/06\/15\/vdfca-launch-tuesday-14th-june-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"VDFCA Launch Tuesday 14th June 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Working together to make Verwood and Three Legged Cross Dementia Friendly – The Launch Event
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In June, the Verwood and Three Legged Cross Dementia Friendly Community Association (VDFC) held the\"OLYMPUSir launch event at the Crane Valley Golf Club.\u00a0 It was a lively affair and well supported by members of the public as well as local businesses and services supporting people with dementia and their family\/carers.<\/p>\n

What is a \u2018dementia friendly community\u2019 do I hear you ask?\u00a0\u00a0 This is a great initiative from the Alzheimer\u2019s Society.\u00a0 The aim is to support local communities to take responsibility for making sure that people living with dementia and their carers feel understood and valued and able to contribute to their local community. People living with dementia and their families can feel isolated as there is quite a stigma attached to the condition.<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, people are just people, but living with a challenging condition.\u00a0 Like all members of the community we want them to feel valued and welcome and understood by local businesses and community groups.\u00a0 Part of this is helping more people understand about dementia and get some simple tips about enhancing communication.\u00a0 This was one of the aims of the launch event.<\/p>\n

VDFC is championed by the town council but is an independent community association run by local residents.\u00a0 The lunch event comprised an exhibition of organisations supporting people with dementia including local care homes (Waypoints, Oakdene, Waterloo), GP practices (The Surgery, Cranborne Practice), Music for the Mind, Aster Living Telecare, Wiltshire Farm Foods.<\/p>\n

Also,(shown below,) Ann Mayo Senior Springtime exercise classes,<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/p>\n

Alzheimers Society, POPPS and Wayfinders.\u00a0 Running alongside was a programme of events, interspersed with wonderful tea and cakes provided by the Golf Club and funded by a grant from Verwood Town Council. .\u00a0 This included an introduction from the VDFC chair, Dr Janet Scammell who shared some of her experiences of a family member with dementia, plus talks from Vince Seabright, the local community psychiatric nurse, Ros Fricker the local Community Police Officer, Debbie Horlock from the Alzheimer\u2019s society and finally a talk about the importance of nutrition and hydration from Dr Jane Murphy from Bournemouth University. \u00a0At the mid-point Ann ran a snippet from one of her exercise classes, which went down very well as it got everybody moving (and laughing)!<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/p>\n

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There was a photography competition with 14 entries.\u00a0 The winner was Martina who received a wonderful hamper donated by Morrison\u2019s supermarket Verwood; her entry will feature on the front of our new leaflet.\u00a0 We had a suggestions board to help us think about our way forward to serve our community better.\u00a0 We have a number of priorities:<\/p>\n

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