1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?

We are committed to spreading the awareness of Dementia and keen to show ourselves as a Dementia Friendly Community being at the heart of Chatham Town Centre. I have completed the Dementia Friends Champion Induction and ensured that all staff on site have received and understood the 5 keys messages Dementia Friends want to spread, wear their badge on site and commit to talking about Dementia and changing perception in the community. We also have regular refresher sessions. I have also recently completed the session with a new shop on site and they are looking to set up coffee mornings that welcome people living with Dementia, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

We also have introduced Sound Out Sunday’s where we try to replicate, a quiet and more relaxed environment. We have accessibility guides available on our website, as well as a virtual tour for people to plan ahead their visit.

We regularly update and share social media messages on spreading awareness of Dementia. We are also looking to set up a promotional area for Dementia Action Week in May.

2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?

One of our biggest challenges is to get more and more shops receiving the Dementia Friends information session to help spread the message. We are still working with them to increase the number of shops that are onboard in the Centre.

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