Ahead of Dementia UK running its 16th annual ‘Time for a Cuppa’ fundraiser, the charity has shared advice on how to make an event inclusive for people living with dementia
By the time you’ve boiled your kettle, another person will have developed dementia. It’s a huge and growing health crisis – one in two of us will be affected by the condition in our lifetime.
This May, Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nursing charity, is inviting the nation to make Time for a Cuppa, so the charity can reach more families than ever with their vital support.
Hosting a Time for a Cuppa event can be a great way for families, friends and neighbourhoods to come together and spend quality time with one another, all for a good cause – to help increase the number of dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. But it’s important that fundraising events are inclusive of people living with dementia to ensure everyone is able to take part.
Dementia UK’s specialist Admiral Nurses provide life-changing advice and support to anyone affected by dementia, whenever it’s needed. They work on Dementia UK’s free national Helpline, in face-to-face and virtual clinics, and in the community, in GP practices, hospitals and care homes.
But with rising numbers of families impacted by the condition, thousands aren’t getting the support they need.
That’s why between 1st – 8th May, Dementia UK is encouraging people across the country to get together at home, at work, or in care homes to host a Time for a Cuppa event to help support families affected by dementia.
As dementia is a progressive condition, people living with dementia are likely to be at different stages of the condition and have different needs. That’s why Dementia UK has shared some advice on how to make a fundraising event inclusive for people living with dementia to help ensure everyone is able to enjoy the activity.
Tips for making an event dementia-inclusive:
- Try to avoid hosting an event in the late afternoon or evening when people living with dementia might be tired or are more likely to experience sundowning
- Greet guests when they arrive at the event and explain what is happening in a clear and simple way
- Put up clear signage, for example you could stick a picture of a toilet to the toilet door to help people find it more easily
- Where possible, try to keep distractions in the room to a minimum and turn off the TV and radio
- Use visual aids to help stimulate memories, if you’re hosting a Time for a Cuppa event you could look back over old photos whilst enjoying a cup of tea and a piece of cake
- Have an alternative activity available if a person living with dementia doesn’t want to take part in the event
Hannah Gardner, Consultant Admiral Nurse for Children and Young People at Dementia UK, said:
“Hosting dementia-inclusive events can be a great way to bring together people of all ages including care staff, families and children.
“If you’re planning on hosting a Time for a Cuppa event, try to incorporate some activities that everyone can enjoy whilst sitting down and having a cup of tea, for example arts and crafts or a board game like Snakes and Ladders.
“It’s important that the person living with dementia feels included in the fun, so it can help to focus on activities they can do and enjoy, rather than what they can’t.”
This year, Time for a Cuppa is proudly sponsored by Nationwide Building Society. The sponsorship forms part of Nationwide’s new social impact programme, Fairer Futures, which seeks to address three of the UK’s biggest social issues through charity partnerships – dementia (Dementia UK), youth homelessness (Centrepoint) and family poverty (Action for Children).
By making Time for a Cuppa, you can help ensure no family faces dementia alone. Sign up for your free Time for a Cuppa fundraising pack at dementiauk.org/timeforacuppa.
If you need advice or support on living with dementia, contact Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline on 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk.org. You can also book a free video or phone appointment to get expert dementia support from an Admiral Nurse. Find out more at dementiauk.org/appointment.
