Dementia group extends invitation

Members of the Prom Friendship Group, Trish Small and Louise Magill (seated) with Danielle Campbell, Shalana Hegarty and Lauren Small who organised the tea dance in Larne Town Hall, the group have been nominated for the Community Awards for the Alzheimers Society at St James Palace London. INLT 07-013-PSB

The Prom Friendship Group is organised by the Alzheimer’s Society.

It will be meeting from April on the last Tuesday of every month in the Prom Cafe at Larne Leisure Centre, which is located on Tower Road in the town.

The meetings will run from 6pm until 7.30pm and anyone living with dementia, their carers or families, are welcome to join with the group.

There will be good company, entertainment and craic on offer.

The meetings provide a safe and supportive environment for people living with dementia to participate in leisure and social activities with trained volunteers.

There is also confidential peer support available for carers, with talks and activities provided to promote mental health and wellbeing.

At the February meeting of the group, all of those who attended had an enjoyable time. Stew and refreshments were available and music was provided.

The group is always looking for more volunteers to help out at the events. The organisers are encouraging anyone who has a couple of free hours each month to join them.

A spokesperson from the group said: “Volunteering is very rewarding and builds your confidence and self esteem. Appropriate training will be provided by the Alzheimer’s Society.”

They added: “Living with dementia is challenging and frustrating. Plans for the future might change for people living with dementia, but dementia doesn’t change who they are.

“A diagnosis of dementia doesn’t mean they need to stop doing the things that they enjoy, but they might have to do them in a different way.”

Figures show that there are over 400 people who have been diagnosed with dementia living in the Larne area, 464 in Carrickfergus and 983 in Newtownabbey.