Via Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The York Dementia Without Walls project, led by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, looked into what is needed to make York a good place to live for people with dementia and their carers.
Dementia-friendly communities can better support people in the early stages of their illness, maintaining confidence and boosting their ability to manage everyday life. Working with people with dementia, the research team investigated how local resources can be harnessed to this end, provided there is enough awareness.
Key findings include:
- What is good for people with dementia is good for everybody. Places and neighbourhoods that provide good housing, transport and facilities will not only be more dementia-friendly, but will also make life easier for everyone.
- Training for people at all levels and in all sectors should be easy to access and well promoted. This should enable people who provide everyday services (e.g. banks, shops, transport and leisure) to understand better what people with dementia need.
- York’s bounty of leisure, cultural and spiritual resources can help people with dementia to live richer, fuller lives. This might require some adaptation.
- Health and social care services will need to change over time to ensure there is enough support for people living in the community. People with dementia should be central to helping to plan for this.
Watch the video below which introduces the York Dementia Without Walls project.
More information about Dementia without walls