Dementia meetup | Our main aims | Agenda | Speakers | Who should come? | Booking | Supporters | Summary Report
Information and inspiration to create more informed, inclusive
communities and improve dementia care and support in N. Wales
hosted by Chris, Jayne and Kate Roberts
Co-produced with Pam Luckock and Fran O’Hara and our ‘Working With Not To’ Community
For more information:
- Download the event flyer PDF
- View the event slideshare at bit.ly/1VW8kuM
- Share on twitter #DementiaNWales
To book, please contact us or email: workingwithnotto@gmail.com
Chris Roberts
“I’m your average 53 year old man who cares about dementia awareness, but it has to be good quality awareness, it has to be about promoting education about dementia because it is starting to touch us all. Everyone is beginning to hear the word ‘dementia’ but not a lot of folk actually understand it and with over 850,000 people living with this illness in the UK we all need to know at least a little about it. You see “I” have dementia, mixed dementia, vascular and Alzheimer’s, but with the emphasis that I may “have it” but it certainly doesn’t have me! Power is knowledge, knowledge is power!
It can affect everyone completely differently because the causes of one’s dementia can be quite different. It’s progressive which means it will gradually get worse, which is why an early diagnosis is good to have, to put help in to place and plan for the future – because with the right support and assistance it is possible to live well with it.
I look to the future now and never the past, I concentrate on what I can do, not what I can’t. Dementia awareness, because I’ve become an expert by experience, but only in my own dementia because everyone is different.
I am an Alzheimer’s Society dementia champion and host awareness sessions. I also speak at conferences and write about my experiences as it’s important for people with conditions to be visible – we need more people doing this. Recent conferences include: the Wales Audit Conference; on behalf of Dementia Alliance International (I’m a board member) at the Alzheimer’s Disease International Conference in Perth and at the Alzheimer’s Europe conference in Croatia.
Now it’s time to do something where I live, in North Wales. I’m involved in lots of stuff now, things I hope will make a difference, I only have a limited window to do this in and doing this in turn keeps my brain sharp which can’t be a bad thing and must help, well I think it does.
I’m trying to make a difference while I can – if I can do this, what can you all do :)”