SILHILLIANS are being called on to turn Touchwood blue to mark Dementia Awareness Week.
The Macc Care Group is looking for volunteers to knit part of a large blue scarf that will be displayed on the giant gorilla statue in Touchwood Shopping Centre, as well crocheted forget-me-nots to fill shop windows between May 15 and 21.
There will also be a Dementia Friends session at Touchwood on May 19 at 1030am where shop owners, staff and customers can understand how best to support any visitors that may be living with dementia and their carers.
Deena Heaney, the dementia lead at the care group will also be delivering a ‘Dementia Awareness Talk – A Person-Centred Approach’ at Blossomfield Rose care home on May 16 and at Blythe Rose care home on May 18 at 10:30am.
She said: “During the awareness week in May, we are encouraging people to act on dementia, have these conversations, and address the taboo that surrounds the condition.
“But beforehand, we’re asking for those who can to get involved to turn Solihull blue, and get as many people as possible talking about the subject —bringing awareness to the cause.”
Dementia Action Week encourages people who are concerned that they or someone they know may be experiencing dementia symptoms to seek further help.
As part of this, it suggests reaching out to the Alzheimer’s Society for information on memory loss, advice on talking to the GP, and ways to cope with memory loss.
Drew Hallsmith, Alzheimer’s Society local services manager for Solihull, said: “Dementia Action Week is a time to raise awareness of dementia and the impact it has on people’s lives. We also want to highlight the need for people to get an early diagnosis to be able to take advantage of existing medication and research trials.”
