21 November 2019
Anisha Grange manager helps 175 Romford pupils understand dementia
Our care manager at Anisha Grange Care Home recently delivered a session to 175 school children to help them better understand dementia.
Customer Relationship Manager and Dementia Champion at Anisha Grange Care Home, Carl Roberts, recently visited Bower Park Academy to deliver an informal Dementia Friends session to the year ten children.
The short session taught in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, explores what it’s like to live with dementia, how you can make someone who lives with dementia live a fulfilled life and the small things you can do to make a difference. The children also learned how dementia affects the brain and how people can live well with dementia.
Following the session, the children filled out action slips to express how they thought the session went – one writing that she will actually be a dementia friend and help others living with dementia and another saying he will be helpful and accepting.
Carl who has now made 1,000 people Dementia Friends throughout Essex and is the Chairman of the Billericay Dementia Action Alliance said: “With the topic of dementia becoming more and more common place within our communities, it is vitally important that young people gain an understanding of this at an early age. It means that as they become young adults and adults themselves, they are equipped to support their families and community. Stigma and fear are one of the biggest causes of people not seeking help and getting a diagnosis and with Dementia Friends we are trying to remove this stigma. I am very proud to have presented to Bower Park Academy.”
Director of Learning at Bower Park Academy, Roohina Mughal said: “I spoke to some of my year 11 classes that were lucky enough to visit Anisha Grange last time and they said, everyone, especially children should be made more aware of what dementia is because it’s not that well known. It’s a hidden disability because it is not talked about openly for example the way you would about cancer or autism or ADHD. There are lots of families who have to face this situation on their own because of the stigma/ humiliation attached to dementia, which wouldn’t occur if people were more dementia aware.”
If you are interested in learning more about dementia and attending one of Carl upcoming sessions please contact Carl on Carl.Roberts@hallmarkcarehomes.co.uk
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