Man transforms regional community centre to make it more welcoming for people living with dementia
Many Australians will know someone with dementia, but fewer would feel confident they can offer them the right kind of support. A South Australian man has taken matters into his own hands, transforming his regional community centre to make it more welcoming for other locals also living with the condition.
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00:00 Bruce Weber had to learn to walk and talk again after being in a coma,
00:05 but it was the stigma of a dementia diagnosis that left him feeling isolated.
00:11 All my friends disappeared and I had to work my way through that.
00:15 So he decided to work with his local community centre in Murray Bridge
00:20 to set up weekly activities for people living with dementia
00:23 to socialise and share skills in a safe space.
00:27 The centre worked with Mr Weber to make the facility more accessible,
00:32 including using collared doors to make it easier to navigate
00:35 and having the right kind of activities.
00:38 The weekly program, running since 2021, is supported by volunteers
00:43 and the centre says it's a response to a gap in these kind of services.
00:48 It's very well received within the community
00:51 and we're seeing a rising number of people who are living with dementia,
00:55 their carers and their care partners, accessing our cafe.
00:59 They wanted to put me in a room and do nothing, look at a TV,
01:06 and I thought, no, that's not for me.
01:09 According to the latest government data,
01:11 there are nearly half a million Australians with dementia
01:14 and two in three are thought to be living in the community.
01:18 Advocates say the stigma faced by those with the condition
01:21 can negatively impact their wellbeing,
01:24 as well as affecting their families and carers.
01:27 They're calling for better awareness around how to support those with the condition,
01:32 including making public settings more inclusive
01:35 through better lighting, signage and colour.
01:38 That's what keeps me going, being with the community, being with people
01:43 and making a legacy for the next people to come along.
01:47 A legacy he hopes will keep growing.
01:50 [BLANK_AUDIO]