Support pledged at Derry dementia conference

The Old Library Trust DEEDS (Dementia Engaged & empowered in Derry & Strabane) Project delivered a unique Dementia Conference in ths city this week asking people to Engage, Empower and Pledge to do more to create a Dementia friendly city and district.

The City Hotel was the venue as people pledged to support people experiencing Dementia in their lives and do more to create a Dementia friendly City and district.

IN PICTURES: DEEDS Dementia Conference in Derry a huge success

Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography

The DEEDS project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, hosted the conference.

The conference celebrated the first phase of the DEEDS project itself, launched the new phase of work and introduced everyone in attendance to their new training and education programme.

The conference seen individuals, carers and families of those with dementia, professionals working in the field of older adults and dementia and those local community, statutory organisations and businesses attend all looking to learn more about how they can and should support people with dementia when in their company.

Project Director at the Old Library Trust George McGowan opened the conference asking those in attendance to keep in mind a quotation that they would reflect on later in the day.

He stated: “While no one can change the outcome of Dementia with the right support you can change the journey.”

He went all to provide some stark statistics about dementia and reminded everyone that Dementia will impact everyone in the room at some point and more must be done.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane, Councillor Sandra Duffy, officially opened the conference with a heartfelt message about the need to support dementia in our city and district and how she has had the pleasure as mayor to attend a few of the dementia friendly events.

Paul Sweeney, Chair National Lottery Community Fund NI followed this with a reflection on the first phase of DEEDS and how delighted he was to see a continuation of service for members as well as the introduction of new services such as the pre-diagnosis support coming in the autumn in partnership with The Western Health & social Care Trust.

Paul heaped praise on several people stating: “On behalf of the national Lottery Community Fund I want to thank everyone that plays the national lottery. Your contribution enables amazing, top-class support and provision to some of our most vulnerable people in society.

Group pictured at the Old Library Trust’s DEEDS Dementia Conference in the City Hotel on Tuesday afternoon last.

“The DEEDS project is a great example of this. People across the city and district living with Dementia and their families are supported by the Old Library trust, the amazing DEEDS staff, volunteers and community partners in ways that prove invaluable to those who attend. Well done to everyone and we at the National Lottery community Fund wish you nothing but success in the future.”

Eddie Lynch, Older People's Commissioner, spoke about the role of his office and the importance of community projects for dementia and highlighted two experiences in supermarkets, one good and one bad that had affected people with dementia. His final message was that more needed to be done to train people in the community.

Age Friendly Officer with Derry & Strabane District Council, Ciara Burke, talked about the role of the council in making the city and district age friendly and within this making it dementia friendly as well.

Neil Guckian, Chief Executive of The Western Health & Social Care Trust, spoke about the challenges facing the Trust for dementia services and some of the solutions therein.

DEEDS Co-ordinator Sinead Devine detailed the journey from DEED to DEEDS and shared the members view of the project with a beautiful video from R&D Media.

Sabrina Lynch, OLT Project Manager launched the new DEEDS training and introduced two speakers who have participated in this: Deirdre Harkin Lecturer in Adult Nursing Ulster University highlighted the training already taking place with first year nurses and paramedics led by DEEDS and the impact this has on their practice.

City Centre Initiative Manager Jim Roddy spoke about his own personal experience of dementia and how CCI is initiating training from DEEDS with security staff from the shopping centres and how this will help them in their roles supporting people with dementia.

DEEDS Support Worker Wendy McLaughlin engaged carer Deborah Keys in conversation about the difficulties that people with dementia and their families face when navigating when they are out and about in the city and how DEEDS has made a difference to their lives. Deborah is now a proud volunteer with DEEDS.

DEEDS Co-Ordinator Sinead Devine pictured with some of the stallholders and delegates at Tuesday’s DEEDS Dementia Conference.

Attendees got the chance to participate in a short element of the DEEDS immersive experiential training experience and to feedback what it was like to walk in the shoes of someone with dementia.

In the final remarks, George McGowan asked everyone to make a pledge for dementia to help create Derry and Strabane a dementia friendly city and district by filling in the butterfly in their packs and attaching it to the cityscape board in the room. DEEDS staff will follow these pledges up in the coming months. 

The wonderful Mellow DEEEDS choir, closed the proceedings with fabulous renditions of two of their favourite songs 'That’s Amore' and 'Bring Me Sunshine'.

Sinead Devine, DEEDS Project Coordinator, commented: “When people get a diagnosis of dementia, they do think it is the end of the world but noted that there was still joy to be had and that there are services like DEEDS there to support them”.