Archive for 2023

Four Rivers 2023 AGM

The Four Rivers Dementia Alliance 2023 AGM was held at Ivybridge Rugby Club on the 6th October and was well attended by groups and organisations as well as individuals working to support people living with dementia and their carers in their local communities.
Ian Sherriff B.E.M, Academic Partnership Lead for
Dementia at Plymouth University gave a presentation on 'Developments in Dementia' and took questions from the floor. Despite some good news on medical advancements in tackling dementia and growing research into environmental impacts, the figures on the future predictions on the number of people who will develop dementia in their life time and the economic costs to all societies gave food for thought. Many Governments are not investing in and preparing a long term strategy to manage this growing problem.
The presentation was followed by a relaxed brain storming exercise to look at the future direction of the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance, which will be used to plan a path for the Alliance into 2024/25.
Overall, the conclusion to the AGM was positive and it was an opportunity for people to meet up and look at how we can all work together to improve the lives and raise awareness and support in communities for people living with dementia.
** The Four Rivers Dementia Alliance would like to thank Ivybridge Rugby Club for the use of their club house for the AGM **

Photographs from the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance AGM 2023 (pdf)

8th October 2023

Four Rivers Dementia Alliance - Annual General Meeting

The Four Rivers Dementia Alliance are holding their Annual General Meeting on Thursday 5th October starting at 2:30pm at the Ivybridge Rugby Club - Postcode PL21 0LR.
The guest speaker will be Ian Sherriff, B.E.M, Academic Partnership Lead for Dementia at Plymouth University giving a talk on 'Developments In Dementia'. Ian, himself is a very entertaining speaker and you will come away from armed with new information and an understanding of the issues around dementia. Ian's talk will be followed by an informal brainstorming exercise with the goal of looking at possible options for a future strategy of the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance as being diagnosed with dementia is increasing in our communities and we need to be sure that we can promote sustainable dementia friendly communities.
Anyone who would like to attend the AGM from is very welcome.

Four Rivers Dementia Alliance AGM Poster (pdf)

15th September 2023

Alzheimer's Society - Time For Dementia

Join Time for Dementia which is an innovative, award winning training programme, designed to educate undergraduate
healthcare professionals to improve their knowledge, attitude and empathy towards people living with dementia and their carer(s).

How You Can Be Involved:

Two or three students from a participating university will be paired with a family affected by dementia and will arrange to visit them at home up to three times per year.Alternatively, families not near a participating university can take part virtually, meeting a group of students on a facilitated video call.The visits are a unique learning opportunity for the students but also a great chance for a family affected by dementia to share their experiences
of living with the condition.

Read the attached leaflet for more information and the benefits of participating. You can also get more information on the programme by telephoning 07517 498600 or email timefordementia@alzheimers.org.uk.

Time For Dementia Leaflet (pdf)

Time For Dementia Programme

31st July 2023

RNID - Sessions Near You and Book a Group Talk

The RNID are running monthly sessions in the South Hams, incorporating Hearing Checks, Hearing aid maintenance, advice and signposting. Central to the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance who support the RNID is helping people living with dementia and their carers manage any hearing loss, is the session held at the - Beacon Room, The Watermark, Leonards Road, Ivybridge, PL21 0SZ on the second Thursday of the month. See Our "What's On" page for further information.
In addition, the is another RNID monthly session run at the: Kingsbridge Library, Library Court, Ilbert Road, Kingsbridge, TQ7 1EB on the third Wednesday of the month.
The RNID are also happy to present a talk to Groups or Clubs in the community around the subject of hearing loss and tinnitus and how you can help a loved one (living with or without dementia). They will also provide free hearing checks Email - heartohelp.devonandcornwall@rnid.org.uk for further information or to book a talk.

RNID Near You (pdf)

RNID Website

30th July 2023

Dementia Friendly Ivybridge

After Victor Abbott's re-election as a District Councillor, he is working towards reaffirming Ivybridge's Dementia Friendly status.
Following a grant from Localities Funding the Ivybridge Dementia Friendly Initiative has an improved set of window stickers for the ground floor shops and businesses in the town and these will be distributed over the coming weeks along with a repeated request for staff to follow the shorter or the longer training videos from the Alzheimer's Society in an effort to get more people registered as Dementia Friends.

The initiative has the support of Ivybridge Caring, the Memory Cafe and Ring & Ride as well as Dementia Champions who can deliver City and Guilds accredited Dementia training.

Victor will be presenting a report at the next Town Council meeting on Monday 26th June on Dementia Friendly Ivybridge and it is hoped to set up an 'Accessible Ivybridge' webpage which can also be reported on through the Four Rivers Dementia Friendly website.

22nd May 2023

Four Rivers Dementia Alliance Trifold

The Four Rivers Dementia Alliance has launched it's latest version of our trifold pamphlet. It has been extensively re-edited to bring it into line with our website and contact through our website to any party wanting to make their establishment, club, organisation, business or community more dementia friendly.
The Four Rivers Dementia Alliance is here to help and advise any party on ideas and practicalities of making their social environment more open to people with dementia, their partners or carers and allowing them all to lead fulfilling and social lives.
The trifolds will be available in all local establishments, noticeboards, shops or church's in the nineteen parishes as well as Ivybridge that make up the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance.

Download document (pdf)

20th May 2023

Travellers to Unimaginable Lands

'Travellers to Unimaginable Lands: Dementia, Carers and the Hidden Workings of the Mind' by Dasha Kiper (ISBN 978 1 80081 619 0) has been recommended by members of the Four Rivers Dementia Alliance as a fascinating account of the psychology of caregiving. The hypothesis of the book is that the caregiver is just as much a victim of Alzheimer's as is the person they are looking after and the underlying issue is related to how our brains have evolved. It is a work of compassion that attempts to show that our reactions as caregivers, anger, frustration, disbelief, sadness and isolation can be explained by the way our own brain operates. The book blends neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, literature and observed case studies and dispels the myth of the perfect caregiver but gives us understanding and forgiveness.

18th May 2023

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