FIRST STEPS
Support
You are possibly here because a loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, this can be an overwhelming time, rest assured we are here to assist you, providing information to help you understand and get the support you need.
If you need dementia support,
Call the Alzheimer’s Support Line:
0333 150 3456
All calls with the Dementia Support Line are recorded for training and quality purposes.
Calls charged at standard local rate.
If you are in an emergency situation, please call 999 or 111.
Look after yourself
We understand that looking after a loved one will take time and energy, as individual volunteers we are or have been carers ourselves so we do understand.
Right now you may be prioritising finding information and assistance for your family member or friend, this can be exhausting and a bit of a mind field!
We have sourced resources to help you stay in shape and energised so that you can offer the best love and support in this situation as it is important that you take care of yourself too.
It’s important to remember that it’s OK to not be OK and to be kind to yourself too.
Support for you as a carer
if you support someone with dementia you are a carer. Sometimes carers just think that is their role in the family or as a friend or good neighbour to provide support - they don’t recognise themselves as a carer.
Click here to link to a valuable resource for carers. We are keen for as many people to complete this as possible to improve people's understanding of who a carer is, so they can get the recognition they deserve, understand their rights as a carer and be informed of the support available locally and nationally.
This should take approximately 35 minutes.
Communities across Gloucestershire are becoming more dementia-friendly, showing their support so that people living with dementia remain active members of their community.
This booklet offers some tips and information as well as links to support and advice for those living with dementia in Gloucestershire, their families, friends and the communities they live in.
We are very grateful to dementia campaigner Norman ‘Norrms’ McNamara for sharing his personal experiences in writing these tips. Norrms was diagnosed with dementia at the age of 50.
Which diseases cause dementia? How do they affect the brain? What symptoms do they lead to? Voiced by Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon, this short introduction explains the essentials of a condition affecting 850,000 people across the UK today.