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What is a Local Dementia Action Alliance?

The Dementia Action Alliance (DAA) was launched in 2012 as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia and aims to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their carers through coordinated action. The Alzheimer’s Society coordinate and support local DAAs.

A Local Dementia Action Alliance (LDAA) is the coming together of  member organisations in a local area and is seen as the vehicle to create a dementia-friendly community. Members include local businesses, community groups, faith groups, schools and colleges, libraries, museums, shopping centres and charities as well as health and social care providers. Any organisation can get involved and show their commitment to supporting people with dementia!

To sign up as a member of the DAA, a group/organisation has to complete a simple action plan. Further details on this are given below.

Membership to the DAA is completely free. All we ask is that members take steps to better support  people living with dementia in their local area

‘Local Dementia Action Alliances’ enable and support ‘Dementia Friendly Communities’. They do this by recording and monitoring the dementia friendly actions of the  member organisations and communities. The local DAA has its own webpage where you can view the actions of all the member organisations. The local DAA also meets approximately four times a year to support the member organisations and communities and offer opportunities for networking and sharing good practice.  

To view members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Dementia Action Alliance, their action plans, and to become a member yourself, click here.

Why join?

Once your application has been approved your organisation will have its page listed on:

www.dementiaaction.org.uk

A list of all the organisations signed up to the DAA in Coventry and Warwickshire can be found under the tab ‘Local Alliances’, ‘West Midlands’, and then ‘Coventry and Warwickshire DAA’.

Recognition as a dementia-friendly organisation could increase business revenue or the number of people using your service.

You will be part of the wider Dementia Action Alliance community giving you access to networks, support and information. You will be part of a Social Movement to bring about change, working with other organisations in partnership and helping to raise community spirit.

How to become dementia friendly

Every organisation, group and community is different, and many different things can be done to make them dementia friendly.

However, the Coventry and Warwickshire Dementia Action Alliance has developed a list of suggested practical things and actions that could be taken by local communities, organisations, groups and businesses wishing to become dementia friendly.

Enhanced awareness and understanding of dementia

In Coventry and Warwickshire, we want to improve public and professional knowledge and understanding of dementia and the support and services available. There are various ways to do this:

  • Offering basic awareness training to staff
  • Organising an event with a guest speaker from a local dementia service
  • Organising a dementia awareness raising display in a public place
  • Supporting national dementia awareness events such as Dementia Awareness Week
  • Sharing information about dementia and services available via newsletters
  • Displaying resources to promote Warwickshire’s Living Well with Dementia portal (which gives more information on dementia and support available locally)
  • Signposting people to Warwickshire’s Living Well with Dementia Portal
  • Staff members, volunteers or customers signing up as Dementia Friends

Aiming to provide a dementia friendly environment

A dementia-friendly environment is one where buildings and physical environments do not prevent people with dementia from accessing them e.g. by avoiding cluttered spaces, use of overly shiny floors or lack of appropriate and clear signage to help people navigate their way. Dementia friendly environments will also have positive benefits and enhance accessibility for many other people in the local population.

  • Review your environment by looking at seating, signage and facilities using a checklist to ensure it is as accessible as possible.
  • Find out more about ‘Designing Dementia Friendly Environments’
  • You can use the checklist to review your premises, or if you would like someone to visit your premises to undertake an environments audit, we may be able to help with this. Please contact dementiapartnership@warwickshire.gov.uk if you are interested.

Communication

Tips for communicating with people with dementia:

  • Be patient and understanding
  • Use appropriate language when talking about people living with dementia, making negative terms such as ‘sufferer’ a thing of the past
  • Think about how you could support people who have a diagnosis of dementia, or who may be caring for a relative living with dementia. This may include your staff.

The Dementia Friends initiative is a practical example of raising awareness of dementia. It is an excellent starting point for individuals, organisations and members of Local Dementia Action Alliances to take part in. Find out more about Dementia Friends

Dementia Friendly Community

A Dementia Friendly Community and being awarded the ‘Working to become Dementia Friendly’ symbol is about recognition for their work towards becoming dementia friendly.

Dementia Friends

The Dementia Friends initiative is a practical example of raising awareness of dementia. It is an excellent starting point for individuals, organisations and members of Local Dementia Action Alliances to take part in. You can find out more about Dementia Friends later in this section.

How To Join

Visit the DAA website to find out how to join

Your local coordinator will then contact you to confirm your membership and invite you to join your local Dementia Action Alliance. You can then take part in Local Dementia Action Alliances by attending meetings held by the group every quarter.

Your local contact

For help with becoming a member of the DAA contact:

Kat Horner
DAA Coordinator (West Midlands)

E: Kat.horner@alzheimers.org.uk

T: 01543 255955
M: 07714 915879

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