PUBLIC health bosses at East Sussex County Council are backing a campaign to encourage people to support those living with dementia.

The council is lending its support to the Dementia Friends campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the condition and how people can help sufferers in their community. Watch the campaign video:

http://youtu.be/LfrnWrpPq54

The aim of the Dementia Friends initiative, launched by the Alzheimer’s Society and supported by Public Health England, aims to improve attitudes and increase understanding of the condition, as well as highlight the small things people can do to make a big difference to a person living with the condition.

“There are an estimated 10,000* people living with dementia in East Sussex alone,” said Cynthia Lyons, the acting director of public health.  “People can live well with dementia, it just takes a little help from those around them.

“Becoming a Dementia Friend and having a better understanding of the issues that people living with dementia face every day will help us move a step closer to creating a dementia –friendly society.”

Residents are being invited to become a Dementia Friend by watching a short video online or by attending a face-to-face information session to increase their understanding. The campaign aims to raise awareness and help create a network of a million Dementia Friends across England by 2015.

For further information on the campaign and how to become a Dementia Friend, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk

The website contains videos and information about sessions running in the local area.