New Dementia Friendly Guide will make shops more accessible for those in the Hastings and Rother area

A new Dementia Friendly Business Guide has been launched with the aim of making retail outlets across 1066 Country more dementia friendly.
Demential Friendly Guide SUS-180828-105423001Demential Friendly Guide SUS-180828-105423001
Demential Friendly Guide SUS-180828-105423001

The launch of the new guide saw Dementia Action Alliance Chairs from Rye, Hastings and St. Leonards, Bexhill, Wealden and Lewes coming together at Hastings.

A number of businesses in Hastings have already become Dementia friendly including Morrisons supermarket, which now operate a quiet hour on Saturdays from 9am to 10am and Sainsbury’s who operate a slow till.

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Marks and Spencer and Iceland are also dementia friendly businesses.

Currently, there are 850,000 UK citizens diagnosed with dementia in one form or another with the most common being Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,.

Hastings and St Leonard’s Dementia Action Alliance Chairman Lord Brett McLean said: “With just over 80% of people with dementia enjoying their shopping trips, it is important to ensure that retail, hospitality and passenger transport services are as dementia friendly as possible.

“In East Sussex alone there have been 171 dementia friend information sessions held this year which have generated 2,044 new Dementia Friends, who’s objective will be to help spread the word that people with dementia can live a fulfilling and happy life and who’s aim it will be to reduce dementia stigmas.

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“My colleagues and I across 1066 Country are delighted to endorse the Dementia Friendly Business Guide.

“It is a very useful guide that explains how a business can become more dementia friendly and how those with dementia can feel more confident visiting dementia friendly businesses so it’s a win win situation for everyone.”

The guide for businesses is available to download free of charge from the Alzheimer’s society website at www.alzheimers.org.uk.

A shortened version will be displayed on the Hastings And St Leonard’s Dementia Action Alliance Facebook page shortly.

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For more information on becoming a Dementia Friend and playing an active role in helping those with dementia, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk.