Vision for Scotland’s first dementia friendly town centre

Motherwell is to have its town centre transformed into a dementia-friendly environment, leading the way in becoming the first town in Scotland to embrace this initiative in adjusting to the challenges of an ageing populace.

The vision for Motherwell has been outlined by Alzheimer Scotland, in collaboration with the North Lanarkshire Council, NHS Lanarkshire and the Voice of Experience Forum. Looking to draw community support for this initiative, the combined efforts of these organisations will be directed towards providing local businesses with practical tips and advice on how to achieve a dementia-friendly approach, as well as how to communicate with adults diagnosed with a declining cognitive ability.

Participants will be encouraged to move their environments away from unnecessary noise, as well as being advised to treat individuals with patience and, where possible, offer familiarity to those using services on a regular basis.

Councillor and convenor of housing and social work, Sam Love, explains: “People with dementia say that being able to do ordinary everyday things like shopping, getting out and about, visiting the library, church or café and meeting friends are very important.

“However, they may lose confidence as these activities become more difficult which leads them to feel embarrassed and then to avoid going out as much.

“By taking a few simple steps, we can all contribute to making people’s lives easier so we are asking Motherwell businesses to sign a pledge and treat customers with dementia with understanding, dignity and respect.”

With an estimated 4,300 people in North Lanarkshire living with the effects of dementia, Alzheimer Scotland awareness manager Kirsty Yanik believes that a dementia-friendly vision moving forward is crucial, saying: “Around 60% of people with dementia live in their local communities, (as opposed to residential care). That means it is absolutely vital for our local communities to develop a greater understanding of the illness and work towards providing a variety of services and support to assist everyone affected by dementia in the area.

“We greatly welcome Motherwell’s work to recognise the simple but meaningful changes that can be made to improve quality of life for people with dementia, their carers, partners and families.”