A new guide from the Mayor of London puts a spotlight on the far-reaching work under way to make Croydon an inclusive borough for its 3,600 residents living with dementia.
The Mayor has recently published a series of guides that focus on the London Health Inequalities Strategy and highlight what is being done to improve the health of all Londoners.
Croydon’s efforts to make the town a dementia friendly borough is used as an example of good practice by local authorities across the capital to make London a fairer, healthier city.
This includes supporting opportunities for social integration, engaging people through volunteering and community activities, and ensuring people feel safe and able to act on the things that affect their communities’ and their own health and wellbeing, for example, through social prescribing.
Croydon’s Dementia Action Alliance supports those with dementia, and their carers, to enjoy activities with other residents in their local community. They organise dementia information sessions to raise awareness of the condition and encourage people to take positive actions, such as becoming a Dementia Friend.
There are also events like the dementia-friendly cinema screenings at Croydon’s David Lean cinema and the Memory Café at Age UK Croydon.
The Mayor’s health guides are targeted at those involved in healthcare, local authorities, businesses, voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations; and groups working with children, young people and families.
The Mayor of London’s Health Inequalities Strategy stakeholder guides are available to download from the website.
“Being socially isolated from your local area, family and friends can be detrimental to a person’s health and wellbeing. Our Dementia Friends programme of work is connecting communities, business and the emergency services and we are seeing the positive impact this is having on the lives of people living with dementia, and their carers.”
Councillor Jane Avis, cabinet member for families, health and social care
