Awareness of dementia is a Commons goal

OLDHAM MP Debbie Abrahams has thrown her weight behind a campaign to make the UK home to the world’s first dementia-friendly parliament.

Mrs Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, has teamed up with the Alzheimer’s Society to encourage the parliamentary community to improve their understanding of dementia and take action to support those with the condition.

Hundreds of MPs and peers have already committed to welcome, respect and support people with dementia in their roles by becoming Dementia Friends.

And to mark the launch of working towards becoming the world’s first Dementia-Friendly Parliament, Mrs Abrahams — the first parliamentarian to become a Dementia Friends Champion — delivered an awareness session to House of Commons staff.

One in three people over 65 will develop dementia. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia and this will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051.

Mrs Abrahams is working closely with Alzheimer’s Society and has set creating a dementia-friendly Oldham as one of her top 10 priorities.

She said: “When a loved one is diagnosed with dementia very few of us are in a position to immediately know how to provide the best care for them and help them adjust. Generally we just cope the best we can, learning along the way, and that was certainly true for me and my family when my mum was diagnosed.

“For me the Dementia Friends sessions underline how important it is that we do everything we can to ensure communities across the country adapt to the needs of people with dementia and, of course, their carers.”
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