Cardiff Council is backing this year's Dementia Action Week with a series of events across the city.
The Council is part of the Dementia Friendly Cardiffproject which seeks to make Cardiff a more dementia-friendly community.
The theme of this year's Dementia Action Week(May 20-26)is ‘starting the conversation' about the disease and how communities can support people living with dementia to live well, and there'll be plenty of opportunity to talk at some of the dementia cafes, social singing sessions and storytimes being held at hubs and libraries across Cardiff during the week.
At the heart of our local communities, our hubs and libraries offer a wealth of resources on health and wellbeing, as well as hosting a range of events and activities to encourage community participation.
Themed storytimes will be held at hubs and libraries to help children better understand living with dementia, while Goldies Cymru, who host the popular socialsinging and activity sessions across the city will be encouraging people to boost their wellbeing by exercising their vocal chords.
A number of dementia cafes are held at hubs and libraries in the city already, including regular cafes at Central Library Hub and Canton Library and even more cafes will be held across the city this week. The cafes provide a warm welcome forpeople living with dementia, their carers and families to enjoy a cuppa and the chance to meet with others, access information and find out about services in a sociable environment.
Our hubs and libraries will also be promoting Welsh Libraries' nationwide competition for schoolchildren to write a story on the theme of memories in no more than 480 words, 480 being the number of people developing dementia each day in the UK.
The prize for the winning entry is a £50 voucher as well as 480 books for the winner's school. The competition closing date is August 15, 2019 and entries can be handed in to libraries or hubs or emailed todementiafriendlycardiff@cardiff.gov.uk
Cabinet Member for Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Susan Elsmore, said: "We're delighted to be backing Dementia Action Week this year as this is an opportunity to underline our commitment to helping to build dementia friendly communities across Cardiff where people living with the disease and their families feel supported to live well.
"This year's Dementia Action Week, there is a call to action for people to start talking about dementia and to include people living with dementia in that dialogue. I'm pleased to say that we're already doing that, through the regular dementia friendly events we hold at our venues throughout the city, and through the work of Dementia Friendly Cardiff.
"The Council is also looking at ways it can become more dementia friendly as an organisation itself by raising awareness with staff and supporting them to become Dementia Friends."
As part of Dementia Friendly Cardiff's work, consultation is currently underway on the creation of anew dementia friendly website to provide information to support those affected by dementia to live well.
The website will also be used to promote businesses that are part of the project and the work they are doing to support those affected by dementia gain access to their business.
There are three surveys - one for those living with dementia, one for partners engaged in dementia related work and one for businesses.
For those living with dementia https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=155496583551
For partners
https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=155497420779
For Businesses
https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=155497087432
Hard copies of the survey are also available at hubs and libraries throughout the city. Consultation runs until June 1.