Meeting with Others
There are a number of different groups you can join to meet with others who live with dementia. However many people feel quite anxious about attending group meetings, particularly if groups are not something you’ve done before. They can however be a source of real help and support, as Ann found…
“Als café is a meeting of people living with dementia and families once a month. When it was first suggested we felt it wasn’t for us, I didn’t want to see or hear what our future was going to be like. But we decided to give it a go and we were pleasantly surprised. Since going along we have gleaned information on all sorts of things from getting a RADAR key for disabled toilets to finding that with a carer’s card I could accompany my husband for free to Blenheim palace as well as many other venues!
Some evenings are informative with visits from professionals e.g. solicitors, others are light-hearted. Laughing over things that have happened over the last few weeks (humour is very important), to playing a silly game. Give it a try, success is all down to the people who come along and join in”.
Increasingly, many people living with or affected by dementia are joining together in groups or connecting online to gain support from each other. Some also do it to act as advocates for people who experience dementia. There are a number of local, national and international support groups/ advocacy groups that you can become a part of. In this section you will find information about these different groups including where you can find out more about them.