New dementia wristband will give people ‘peace of mind’ and help them if lost or distressed
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00:00What are you all doing? We are absolutely delighted to be here today. Again, Manly, we can't thank you enough. We know by working with our six groups, this is a lifeline. This is amazing. This is going to save so many lives. And we can't thank you enough for bringing it to our door.
00:17We have now three members here today, Mick and Gerard and Leonard, who have had the wristbands. They can maybe tell you how he's finding it out. We were actually in a school with Miss Evelyn O'Hagan last week, and it was absolutely fantastic. They found the children were so delighted. They wanted to take one home, and brought the weekend one, you know.
00:40So they've been trying it on, and looking at it, and putting their QR code, which I was gambling on last week with. So again, they are enthusiastic, and as Majella said, or whoever it was said, from children, it is amazing to hear, because that's what we do.
00:55We love doing anti-generational work, where children have no judgment or stigma. You know, they don't judge by dementia. They don't know. They're just seeing as Gerard, Leonard, and Mick. So this is amazing, and again, we can't wait to get this rolled out.
01:11I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Western Trust and Social Care Trust, the Public Health Agency, the Dairy GP Federation, and Age Concern Causeway.
01:23Your shared commitment to improving the lives of people living with dementia is deeply, deeply inspiring, and really thankful for you for doing what you are doing.
01:34It's partnerships like this that reminds us of the real progress when we come together and work together as a community.
01:43Dementia is not just a medical condition. As we know, it touches hearts. It touches the entire community and homes, and it brings challenges, not just on those who are living with it,
01:57but also to their families, their carers, neighbors, and to all of us as a society, and while it can bring fear and uncertainty, today we are choosing to take real, positive action.
02:13We are choosing to care, and we are choosing hope.
02:16With this response that has been developed with the vision and leadership of Mandy Corr from Age Concern Causeway, we are looking positive, we are looking forward, and it looks so simple, but its impact is going to be profound.
02:34It carries vital information that helps fast responders, community members, and healthcare workers to offer quickly and compassionate support when someone is lost or disoriented, and it is more than just technology.
02:51I have seen it, and I absolutely love it. It looks beautiful, it looks welcoming, and it makes you want to read what is in it, and it gives you a peace of mind.
03:01It restores that dignity that everybody wants to have, and it offers the freedom with safety, and it says to every person wearing it, you are not alone, and that's the most important thing.
03:16And at the end of this initiative, it is also a clear message that we care as a community, and we care through enough innovation, we care through enough working together.
03:29We care enough to create a community where everyone, no matter their age, no matter their ability or condition, they feel safe, they feel seen, and they feel supported.
03:43And that's what I love about this.
03:45And as Mayor of the RCT and Thraban District, I am incredibly proud of the leadership, the creativity, and the collaboration that has brought us here today.
03:56This isn't just a launch for me, as someone who actually had a mother-in-law with dementia, I would have loved this to be there at that time.
04:06But for me, it is like a landmark now, a reminder of what is possible when we lead with empathy and purpose.
04:15So let's keep going forward, let's never give up, and let's keep building a region where no one is left behind.
04:24Let's keep proving that the best way to lead is with heart and compassion.
04:29And to everyone who have made this initiative possible, thank you from the bottom of my heart, because this is what is required.
04:36Thank you very much.
04:37We're delighted. We can't wait to get this rolling.
04:42So thank you very much. And from the Old Liker Trust as well, you know, we can't do this.
04:47We all need each other.
04:48And it's fantastic that we're all there.
04:50And it's for the greater need of people like ourselves, like Mick and Jared and Leonard.
04:55So thank you very much.
04:58Good morning, everyone. My name is Mandy Cor.
05:00I'm the manager of Age Concern Causeway.
05:03We're a local independent charity based in Korea.
05:06It truly warmed my heart to see so many agents here today for the launch of the Dementia Safe Garden Scheme.
05:13This initiative represents a significant step forward in protecting and supporting individuals in our community living with dementia.
05:23The core of this scheme is to develop and the distribution of these simple yet effective wristbands.
05:29One of the most frequent anxieties that our clients have expressed to us is, you know, becoming disorientated or lost when they're out on a walk.
05:39These wristbands even offer a vital layer of security and peace of mind.
05:44Each wristband features a discreet QR code.
05:49Once registered, clearly conveys essential information.
05:53Imagine scanning the band and saying, my name is Mandy.
05:57I have dementia.
05:59My next to kin's name is John and contact number.
06:02This simple message can be the difference between a frightening ordeal or a swift return to a safe home, avoiding unnecessary distress and not involving the police, minimising the time spent away from loved ones.
06:19The response we've received from individuals living with dementia and their families have been overwhelmingly positive.
06:24And that means a word to us.
06:27We're deeply committed to creating supportive environments that empower individuals to actively participate in our communities.
06:34We are all aware that we live in an aging population.
06:38And it is imperative that we proactively put measures in place to put them out in the barriers and stigmas associated with dementia.
06:47By working in partnership with all our organisations, we can strengthen the ability to tackle these challenges.
06:54Raising awareness amongst children and encouraging open discussions about dementia is crucial.
07:01It allows people to ask questions, gain knowledge and break down misconceptions.
07:06This is why we are committed to these wristbands through schools and any other revenues that we can.
07:11We need the general public to recognise what the blue wristbands are and for that person wearing it that they might need help or assistance.
07:19So fundamentally listening to the lived experiences of individuals living with dementia and their cares is absolutely key to understanding their needs and ensuring their voices are heard and valued.
07:32Thank you to each and every one of you for coming today.
07:36Your presence here today and your continued support in this initiative.
07:40I think together we can make a real difference in the lives of people living with dementia.
07:43So thank you.
07:46We in the Western Trust are really committed to working in partnership with our C&B sector partners such as Deeds and SWAT and also other strategy agencies like councils.
07:57We can't do it alone.
07:59We have only limited resources and I really and everybody values the importance of working in partnership.
08:05But also we like to hear the views and the feedback from people living with dementia and their carers.
08:13So it's really, really important that they're part of all our services moving forward and what we are always striving towards making things better for people living with dementia.
08:25Because as you know, there will be more and more people living with this.
08:28It's just the Western Trust cannot do it on its own.
08:31You know, we're a specialist service, we're small teams, so we rely on and really, really value the importance of the C&B sector to help people live with dementia out there in the community.
08:44I'm going to now invite our GP lead from the Dairy Federation, Ryan Power, to say a few words.
10:31That's right at the bottom line of everything that we should be doing.
10:34We're working in partnership on this with our primary care colleagues, the voluntary and the community sector, as well as other statutory bodies such as the councils, so that people with dementia can be supported to live full and engaged lives in their own local communities and neighbourhoods.
10:53The Western Trust has established a multi-agency community dementia service improvement group.
11:00This group is a very big, long word, which I had to read several times, but it's a really important group because it provides a valuable opportunity for the Trust to work alongside local agencies.
11:13It allows for effective multidisciplinary interagency and voluntary and voluntary and community sector working in dementia care.
11:21The purpose of the group is to provide members with a forum to plan, deliver initiatives such as this dementia risk band and initiatives that will continue to address concerns or gaps in service provision in the community.
11:38And which is in keeping, of course, which is in keeping, of course, with all of our key strategic drivers such as the dementia Northern Ireland Care Pathway.
11:46The group, of course, haven't finished their work, there's always more work to be done, and there are more activities for Dementia Action Week in May planned, and that's the next piece of joint working for this particular group.
12:02The Western Trust and partners are committed to increasing awareness of dementia in the wider public and supporting people with the condition to remain as independent for as long as is possible within their own community.
12:14I met Howard earlier on for the first time, and Howard said something that I will take away from this that I will remember forever.
12:21When you meet a person with dementia, you've only ever met one person with dementia, and that is something I don't think I really understood, such an important thing for us all to remember.
12:33We know that the number of people in Northern Ireland with dementia is growing and continuing to grow, and we hope that they feel that this is another way that they can have a voice, and we want to be their voice and hear their voice.
12:51This particular scheme will be promoted on public transport, in hospitals, in GP surgeries, community facilities and social media platforms.
12:59So, how can you get a free wristband?
13:03The word free is really important here.
13:06Free wristbands will be distributed by GP social workers, and DEEDS.
13:10Now DEEDS stands for Dementia Engaged and Empowered in Derry and Straban.
13:16Very early.
13:17If you've learnt nothing else, you've learnt that too.
13:19And in the Lima Paddy, Derry and Straban areas too, and in the Oma and Fermanagh areas, wristbands will be requested, can be requested from the Western Trust Dementia Navigator, and the Age Friendly Coordinator in Fermanagh and Oma Council.
13:35And in SWAT, I didn't know what that was either, I thought that was something you must have done with your clothes or something, but it's not.
13:41It's the Southwest Age Partnership.