Posted under Blog on February 27th, 2014 by Editorial Team / No Comments

This week, television chef and TV personality Paul Rankin pledged support to the dementia friendly communities programme in Northern Ireland. Best known for Ready Steady Cook, Rankin has been involved in many celebrity cooking programmes including Great British Menu and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.

A dementia-friendly community is a city, town or village where people with dementia are understood, respected, supported and made feel confident they can contribute to community life.

A report by the Alzheimer’s Society found that 180,000 people in the UK with dementia feel trapped in their homes. This can lead to isolation from community life, and a feeling of loneliness that can lead to depression and worsening symptoms of dementia. According to the report, nearly half of people with dementia feel they are a burden and so avoid getting involved with local life.

Paul Rankin has been personally affected by dementia. His grandfather died from dementia nearly 30 years ago, and his father Hugh Rankin was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2000. He said: “Creating dementia-friendly communities is important for supporting people with dementia and their families because it can really make a positive difference to their lives.”

The move towards dementia friendly communities is something the Alzheimer’s Society has been working towards in a bid to challenge stigma surrounding dementia and increase awareness of how best to communicate and support people with the disease. Heather Lundy, Dementia Friendly Communities Manager Said: “Dementia can happen to anyone and there is currently no cure, but with the right support, people can and do live well with dementia.”

The views and opinions of people with dementia are at the heart of any considerations when building dementia-friendly communities. It is hoped that the programme will remove the barriers that people face in their community, and allow them to become actively engaged with people around them.

Tags: Alzheimer's society, Paul Rankin