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Independent weekly bids to become ‘dementia friendly’ newspaper

An independent weekly has declared itself a ‘dementia friendly’ newspaper in a bid to change public perceptions of the condition.

Teesdale Mercury staff have signed up to the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme, which aims to promote greater understanding of the illness.

Through a series of activities, staff at the newspaper were given an insight into what it is like to live with dementia.

They were also given time to consider how they can make a difference to people in the community living with the condition.

From left: Alex Metcalfe, Lyndsay Oxley, Martin Paul, Rowena Carr from the Alzheimer’s Society, and editor Trevor Brookes

From left: Alex Metcalfe, Lyndsay Oxley, Martin Paul, Rowena Carr from the Alzheimer’s Society, and editor Trevor Brookes

Editor Trevor Brookes said: “We meet people from all walks of life and come across those living with dementia. Helping us to be more understanding can only be a good thing.

“We learnt so much about how to speak to people with dementia and not belittle them or talk down to them. The bad emotions can stay with them, even if the memory doesn’t. That was an important message for me.”

Alzheimer’s Society dementia friends champion Rowena Carr, who ran the session at the Mercury, said: “The whole aim of Dementia Friends is to make communities dementia friendly so that they can get out and about and people can understand what others are going through.

“Making businesses like the Teesdale Mercury dementia-friendly is massively important. After the session, people will come away with a basic understanding of dementia and how it affects people.”