A new monthly Dementia Hub is launching at Deepdale with sessions to take place on the third Wednesday of every month.
The first session will be on Wednesday 19th October, from 11am until 1pm, at the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust’s [LSCft] Health and Wellbeing Recovery College at Deepdale, off Lowthorpe Road.
Hosted by the Recovery College at Deepdale, the Dementia Hub will bring together a range of local support services to one central and accessible place.
Held monthly, the Dementia Hub will provide a regular opportunity to simply drop in and ask questions, learn about locally accessible support services, and to spend time with other people living with and caring for people with dementia.
Dementia describes a range of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem solving, language and behaviours.
These can cause day-to-day challenges, create barriers to our community life, and make it additionally important not only to plan for the future but to know what support is available today.
Preston Dementia Hub is another way to access in-person support and information and to keep up to date with currently available support services in the area.
Working in partnership to ensure the local community can access a wide range of support, the Dementia Hub will initially bring together experts from The Recovery College, Preston North End Community and Education Trust, the Alzheimer's Society, Age UK, Rosemary and Time, NHS Social Prescribing Link Workers, and Lancashire Carers Service.
Preston North End Community and Education Trust’s Sporting Memories programme provides support to those living with dementia, depression and loneliness and their carers through sporting reminiscence and light physical activities.
Health and Wellbeing Officer Grace Birtwell said: “Our Health and Wellbeing department deliver a wide range of provision aiming to tackle the health inequalities across our city. Our Sporting Memories session runs weekly and aims to support people living with dementia, depression and loneliness whilst providing support for their family members and carers.
“It is important for PNECET to form part of the dementia hub sessions to provide support to those affected by dementia, while signposting them to relevant support services wherever possible.”
Chris Lawson from the Alzheimer’s Society said: "Finding the right help at the time that's right for you can make all the difference for living well and from reducing frustration and pressures from building.
"Preston Dementia Hub is about giving people living with dementia and carers somewhere they can go in person when they have questions or just when they want to call in for a brew and a chat and to see what's new in Preston."
LSCft’s Health and Wellbeing Recovery College at Deepdale is a community-developed space that promotes health and wellbeing through courses, workshops and community opportunities. Preston’s latest Dementia Hub will offer a warm welcome to all with activities, specialist support and most importantly a brew and biscuit!
Suzie Smith, LSCft Recovery College Manager, explained: “Our site at the heart of Deepdale aims to provide a safe, warm and friendly space for people to come together to learn about a variety of health conditions.
“Our courses and events are delivered by people with lived experience, we have been there and want to help others access the right support and improve personal wellbeing.”
With the hope of developing a dementia peer support group to complement the Dementia Hub, Sophie Dunn, LSCft Support, Time & Recovery Worker, said "We want to listen to what attendees tell us they want from the sessions, and what more we can build from it together."
The Preston Dementia Hub will be held on the third Wednesday of each month at Recovery College at Deepdale, next door to the Minerva Centre at Deepdale Stadium (off Lowthorpe Road), from 11am to 1pm.