Dementia Awareness Week - Video transcripts

Voiceover: When someone you know has dementia it's easy to focus on the dementia instead of the individual but it's important to remember that a person with dementia is still a unique and valuable person just like everyone else.

Wendy: Sue hasn't lost any of the personality that was always there, she's still funny and she still wants to go out and do things and that's the way, I think, it's important to treat anybody who's diagnosed with dementia; they're the same person, they're struggling with a condition that's hard sometimes to cope with but the person behind that is still there.

Sue: Well I'm just finishing off bits and pieces here, out there and I've got stuff round the other side and Wendy's just brought me another tray.

Faye: You know she still wants to live her life and be out there and be happy, I think that's important.

Wendy: Look at the person and the life they've always lead and what they want to continue doing.

Voiceover: Giving support doesn't have to mean grand gestures, doing little things can mean a lot. If you can't visit someone in person, give them a call, write them a letter or send them a quick text to show you care.

Wendy: I think it's absolutely vital to keep in touch with the whole family really and just make it easier for the person to continue with their normal life.

Sue: She takes me up to the allotments and we see what we've got up there and...yeah.

Faye: A phone call, pop in for a cup of tea, take my Mum for a coffee for half an hour. I just want people to say, 'she's still Sue, she still mad sue' she still wants to be out and about you know.

Voiceover: When someone has dementia or is supporting a loved one with dementia it can really help to talk things through.

Wendy: We talk about everything and anything but we certainly do talk about how Sue's feeling about her condition and we think through the way that she might be able to continue doing things that she finds more difficult.

Sue: They sit there and they'll say are you ok? Yeah, everyone's nice.

Faye: Wendy's fantastic with her and my Mum has a carer, she has a carer come in called Lindsey, my god she's amazing. Then my Mum's got someone to talk to who's not me, I think, Mum doesn't want to upset me and worry me, this is the thing...so she needs someone outside the family to talk to.

Voiceover: Try to be positive and accepting and not to judge. When talking to someone with dementia speak calmly and clearly using positive body language and a warm tone of voice.

Faye: People do talk differently to her and sometimes they talk down to her and boss her around and I'm the only one who can boss her around! A lady came round to talk through what we needed for my Mum, she spent most of the time talking to me and when she did talk to my Mum it was like she was talking to a child - she's a grown woman why are you talking to her like she's, you know...

Voiceover: Remember, dementia doesn't just affect the individual, it affects the whole family. Think of ways you can support carers, partners and children too.

Faye: It's important to have a nice support network. I've got my mother-in-law, Wendy, my husband's fantastic. So, there's not many of us but what we've got, we all stick together and help each other.

Wendy: I think for me my relationship with Faye has been absolutely vital, I think we've become very close. And, Faye and I have talked a great deal and hope that she feels that she could go and talking to me whenever she wanted to.

Faye: It's an ongoing thing, as this illness will progress I'm going to need help like my Mum's going to need help through every single little stage that comes along.

Voiceover: The more you understand about dementia, the more comfortable you will feel spending time with a person with dementia and their loved ones.

Faye: When I first told friends about my Mum, about my Mum having dementia not one of them knew what to say to me, not one of them understood it.

Wendy: I think everybody needs to know more about what this condition is. And not just the limitations of it but the way in which people can be helped to continue to have a really full and happy and enjoyable life.

Voiceover: Visit the address above to request a booklet and find out how you can be a friend to a person with dementia.