To mark Dementia Action Week local medical charity Cobalt are pledging to train their staff to be more dementia aware.

Employees will be given access to resources to help them improve the experience that patients with dementia have when they come to visit their Imaging Centre in Cheltenham.

Dementia Action Week is taking place this week between Monday 20th and Sunday 26th May.

The Charity also have a kiosk in their main clinic waiting room to encourage people to sign up to participate or be involved in dementia research.

The kiosks allow users to enter basic details (name, year of birth, region) and if they would like to be contacted by email or phone.

They then receive either an email or a phone call detailing more information about Join Dementia Research – a national service which matches interested volunteers with researchers who are seeking participants for their studies – and the opportunity to sign up. You do not need to have a memory problem or a dementia diagnosis to participate.

The week is also an opportunity to raise awareness of dementia in our communities.

Cobalt have set up information points about their dementia work across Cheltenham including The Wilson and Keith Holland Opticians.

There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. This will soar to 2 million by 2051 according to the Alzheimers Society.

Dementia is a group of related symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. This may include problems with:

• memory loss
• thinking speed
• mental sharpness and quickness
• language
• understanding
• judgement
• mood
• movement
• difficulties carrying out daily activities

Cobalt support local people with dementia through the Dementia Futures Fund. This provides two dementia nurses to recruit patients onto national trials at the Fritchie Centre on Charlton Lane, Cheltenham, a dedicated base for research and a centre for those affected by dementia and other long-term mental and physical health conditions.

The Charity support these trials with state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging (scanning) equipment at Cobalt Imaging Centre in Cheltenham.

They also provide educational events for medical professionals about latest findings in dementia, free scans for patients referred to them to help diagnose Young Onset Dementia (YOD) and work in partnership with local hospitals to enhance facilities for patients with dementia and their families.

The charity’s partnership with local company IRESS has enabled the purchase of dementia software RITA (Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities) for the Fritchie Centre.

The software enables stimulation of patients and improved communication through use of mediums such as music, sing alongs, quizzes and physiotherapy exercises.

Music can for example stimulate conversation and the patient to reminisce over past times, family and experiences. It supports sleep/wake cycle correction and reduces falls often caused by patients feeling agitated and getting up and about when they are unsteady on their feet.

For more information contact the Fundraising Team at fundraising@cobalthealth.co.uk or on 01242 535922.

You can also follow Cobalt on Twitter @cobaltfr or like @CobaltSupporters on Facebook.