A NEW team has come together to fight dementia in Powys.

Chief officer Rhiannon Davies set about putting the Dementia Matters in Powys team together in September last year and the last pieces of the jigsaw were recently put in place with the recruitment of early opportunities officer Yvie George and dementia friendly community officer Sam Bolam.

The other member of the team is Sian Bourton who provides administrative support.

With Dementia Awareness week coming up from May 14-20, the team are keen to get the message out there about their work and already they have established a regular Friendship Circle for people with dementia which meets every Thursday from 12.30pm till 3pm at the St John’s Centre in Brecon.

It is based on the practice of Dementia Meeting Centres, which have emerged out of an initiative that originated in the Netherlands over 10 years ago and followed a meeting at Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon in March 2016 when more than 50 people took part in a workshop led by Professor Dawn Brooker, associate of Dementia Studies at Worcester University.

The team operates out of a small office that is situated opposite Brecon Cathedral. Their "ultimate goal", according to Sam, "is the creation of a dementia friendly county that fully supports the health, well-being and quality of life of people living with dementia or at risk of dementia, and their carers".

As a result of Rhiannon getting the ball rolling last year, Brecon is the first Welsh town to be officially recognised through the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friendly Communities initiative.

Rhiannon could see the need for a dedicated dementia-focused organisation that would support across the county of Powys. Rhiannon said: "Sharing Brecon’s success with other communities and their positive responses really highlighted a need to make Powys a dementia friendly county.

"By taking collective responsibility and working together we can and will make a much-needed difference and it’s great that this has been recognised through the development of Dementia Matters in Powys.

"We work in partnership with other organisations including the Alzheimer’s Society and it is so positive that dementia is finally getting the attention and resources it needs."

Sam added: "Dementia is a huge issue for us all. In Powys alone there are 4,256 people over 65 with dementia and this figure is set to increase across Wales by 31% between 2011 and 2021, and by as much as 44% in some rural areas. It is estimated that by 2055 there will be over 100,000 people living with dementia in Wales."

Sam’s role is supporting community initiatives to become more ’dementia friendly’, including working with GP services across the county, supporting them in developing supportive primary care and setting up a Rural Dementia Matters in Powys.

She explains that very often, people with dementia start to withdraw from their communities not necessarily because of the effects of dementia, but because of the reaction that they receive from people while they are out and about.

She says dementia is a particularly important issue for people in farming communities, where isolation and lack of access to services can add to the challenges of living with dementia.

Dementia Matters in Powys is in the process of setting up a dedicated support project. One of the volunteers on the project, Eileen Price, the wife of a sheep farmer who died with Alzheimer’s last year, is passionate about the project.

Eileen said: "Providing help with dementia in the farming community is so very important because farming as a profession is so very isolated. You add in the factor of dementia and it almost becomes like you are living in total isolation as community links and relationships can break down as the disease progresses. Farmers, both men and women, are well known for not asking for help. There must be places where people can go and have a chat, as this alone is a massive first step. Having a conversation with someone going through the same problems is an enormous help."

For more information about the Brecon Friendship Circle or to find how to set up your own Meeting Centre contact Yvie George on 01874 611723 or email [email protected]. If you are interested in volunteering on the rural support project contact Sam Bolam on 01874 611723 or email [email protected].

More information about the role of Dementia Matters in Powys is available at www.dementiamatterspowys.org.uk.