It follows a visit by the Alzheimer’s Society, who run the Dementia Friends scheme, to help Dr Coffey and her staff understand the effect of dementia on everyday lives.
Dr Coffey said: “Here in Suffolk Coastal we have a very large proportion of over 65s, who are statistically most likely to be affected by dementia. With a growing number of people living with the condition, it’s more important than ever that we all have a better understanding of what it’s like to live with. One of my election commitments was to make Suffolk Coastal a dementia friendly constituency. This is an important first step in making that happen.
“I know that there are some groups already, like Halesworth Dementia Carers’ Fund. I want to work with them and others to raise awareness of how we can all make it easier for people to live with dementia.”
The Dementia Friends scheme was launched in 2013. Around 650,000 people are living with dementia in the UK.
For more information on how to become a Dementia Friend, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk.
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