Castlepollard launch their Dementia Friendly Town Plan

“Empowerment. Respect. Dignity. Equality. Freedom. Accessibility”: those are the pillars from which Castlepollard aims to build a dementia friendly community.

The plan was launched in the Castle Varagh Hotel last week to a packed crowd who were milling around the room looking at the various stalls with information and resources for those living with or who know someone living with dementia.

The night opened with a presentation from Rosaleen Smartt, who launched the Dementia Friendly Town Plan with the six words above.

“Castlepollard is taking meaningful steps towards becoming a dementia inclusive community,” she said, “one where people living with dementia, their families, friends, and carers feel supported, included and valued.

“Castlepollard is a strong rural hub with key community supports, cultural assets and an emerging need in accessibility signage and walkability.”

Rosaleen thanked Westmeath County Council for facilitating walkability studies of the town, and local TY students who took part with their school.

The town now has a dementia cafe finally, and Rosaleen thanked Castlepollard Hurling Club, who had provided support through their sporting memories activities.

“People with dementia emphasise that they want to connect to their community,” she said. “Reassurance and independence are important. Now, to get your imaginations thinking, wouldn’t it be great if all the community and organisations worked together to make Castlepollard a dementia inclusive town.”

Following Rosaleen, came Pauline Lee, a nurse and project lead for implementing the national dementia strategy in the midlands.

Pauline has recently completed a Masters on dementia at Trinity. “The first thing we all need is knowledge,” she began.

Pauline’s talk focused on brain health and understanding together. “If you have a stroke or a heart attack or whatever, you can recover. You might not be able to do things the same, but your aim is to keep living and do your best.

“We have research now that we’ve never had before and the biggest thing it’s telling us is that we can do things to improve our brain health. I think in the next couple of years we will hear a lot about brain health because it has already come to the fore.”

Pauline pointed out the parts of the brain and their purposes, and the importance of the senses and how hearing loss and loss of smell can cause memory problems. Spatial awareness is a factor in terms of brain health.

“So hearing loss is a huge risk factor for developing dementia if people don’t wear their hearing aids.

Pauline’s other point was Understanding Together. “The idea is we want what we’re seeing in Castlepollard, and we want people to get involved – it’s not a heavy load if everybody has good information and good education. It can allow these people in the community to live openly as well.

Clair Harte, Longford Westmeath dementia advisor, who works for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, discussed the resources available for those with dementia and the groups they can engage in to maintain social life.

She said that people who have a diagnosis can be referred to her via a GP or can self refer. “If someone has a diagnosis of dementia, they might meet with me to find out more about living well with dementia. For self referral, you can ring me and we can go through the information and support over the phone, or if you’re looking for general advice too.

“A lot of the time, it’s knowing what services there are.”

Following the two presentations, Rosaleen’s husband took the floor. He is living with dementia, though you wouldn’t be able to tell. He discussed his life since diagnosis. “I noticed I was doing things at home I shouldn’t have been doing. “When I was diagnosed with dementia, I went to the doctors and got the tablets right away.”

Medication can halt the progression of the disease, but to work well the diagnosis must be made early on. “I advise people that have dementia to see the doctor and don’t fight with your loved ones. I’ve been on the tablets for 10 years now and I don’t know how long they are going to last… as long as they last a good while anyway.”

Eddie was honest about his experience, and how he felt when he first got his diagnosis. “It was frightening but as the years went by, I said okay, I have dementia, what can I do about it now.”

Having told his neighbours, and shop owners around the town, he often has people looking out for him.

He pressed his first point again: “Please don’t fight with your loved ones. They’re only there to help you.”

Eddie makes sure to keep up his hobbies; he goes to the Men’s Shed and collects model airplanes. He finished his discussion with a song, and had the entire crowd singing along.

Dementia Conference

Athlone hosts the International Dementia Conference on May 14-15, when experts on the subject from across the world will speak. The event is ticketed but local people with dementia and their carers are encouraged to attend at a discounted rate of €100 for the two days.