Removing the stigma associated with dementia

Removing the stigma associated with dementia

A Dementia conference, hosted by the Elderly Residential Services, took place ysterday at the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre. The conference, themed ‘See the person, not the dementia’ included key speakers from the UK; Chris Roberts, from the BBC1 Panorama documentary named ‘Living with Dementia: Chris’s Story’ and Simon McDermott. 

Simon is the son of a well-known club singer in the 60s and 70s, Ted McDermott, known as ‘the Songaminute Man’. Ted now lives with Dementia, and together with Simon, they have inspiring millions around the world with carpool karaoke-style videos, raising more than £130,000 for charity.

One of the highlights of the conference was the announcement of the launch of Gibraltar’s National Dementia Strategy. In 2015, the first Gibraltar Dementia Strategy Vision was launched, which resulted in significantly enhanced services for people living with alzheimer’s and dementia. The John Mackintosh Home, which was inaugurated in 2015, provided 54 residential beds. The impressive Hillsides Dementia Facility, opened in 2017 provided a further 52 beds, 8 of these to provide respite services.

The Bella Vista Day Centre also opened early in 2017 and delivers a community-orientated model of care with the aim of enhancing the life of people living with dementia and their families. The Gibraltar National Dementia Strategy aims to achieve a more ‘dementia friendly community’ and provide a wider understanding of the condition and how Gibraltar’s health services and the community can further support those living with dementia and their loved ones.

Ms Susan Vallejo, Elderly Residential Services Manager, commented: “This is Gibraltar’s first Dementia Conference organised with the aim of bringing a greater understanding of what dementia is and to remove the stigma associated with it. We have worked very hard to organise this event, and I would like to thank our Practice Development Sister, Karen Truman and Activities Coordinator, Amanda Parsons-Yeo, and the rest of the team who have been leading the organisation of these events. I would also like to thanks GADS and our sponsors for their endless support.”

01-10-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR