Dementia: We can help (From Penarth Times)

Dementia: We can help

7:50am Thursday 2nd August 2012 in Letters

THE Wales Dementia Helpline is starting an awareness campaign called ‘Are you going the right way?’ in response to the number of callers who start their calls to the helpline by saying ‘I don’t know which way to turn’.

The campaign started at the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells, where the helpline had an information stand. There will be regular updates on Twitter and Facebook and the offer of leaflets, free of charge, to anyone who wants to understand more about dementia or wants information to help them care for a relative or friend.

There are more than 43,000 people living with dementia in Wales, most of whom want to remain at home, and the role of the helpline is to support them as well as their family, friends and carers.

Dementia is an illness still not always understood by many people. It is a distressing disease that affects people both physically and mentally.

If someone you care for has this problem and you feel you need more information or support, then contact the helpline on 0808 808 2235.

We want to ensure everyone who wants help knows how to access it. As well as being able to supply helpful literature, we can also provide contact details of agencies, local to the caller, who can help and support them.

Being a carer can be a lonely and 24-hour-a-day job and it can be hard to sustain the effort needed without support. If you would like a copy of the free booklets entitled What is dementia? and Understanding dementia, contact the Helpline on freephone 0808 808 2235.

These are just two of a range of titles that we can provide that may help and inform.

Janet Roberts, Helpline Manager