Evaluation Time
I have been asked to take a phone call from the firm ICF GHK who are an international firm of consultants who have been contracted to evaluate the Local Dementia Action Alliance Programme funded by the Department of Health's Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund (TSIP)
The reason for their phone call to me is a very interesting one as they are asking the question “How has the Torbay Dementia Action Alliance become so successful and sustainable “WITHOUT” the help of any Govt funding? Also, how is it we have come so far, so soon, and yet (some, not all ) others WITH GOVT FUNDING are either still sat around talking about it or haven’t even come anywhere near as far as we have here in Torbay, Cornwall and Plymouth !!!!!
You can quite rightly believe I have ALL my answers written down and some home truths are going to be spoken. They have to be!! We are really pleased the way things have been going here in the South West and also in other parts of the country, and yet we are so frustrated that other parts seem to be dragging their feet when it really is so simple to become dementia aware and dementia friendly, and at very little cost too!!
So many people get “Hung Up” on funding these days but the thing is, funding is given, but also taken away!! Donations from good honest people who really want to make a difference is not!! It’s collected and spent where it should be, on the people who matter, those with Dementia and their loved ones and carers!!
This is exactly what we will be doing with the money we raise in November from a Concert. All proceeds will go towards buying GPS Alert systems for those with Dementia and who are prone to wandering. Not only will this reduce the stress and the worry of relatives but also help all search and rescue teams come to, hopefully a happy outcome and not the horror story endings we are so used to reading. We hope to get straight to the problem and resolve it best we can.
All proceeds from this year’s GLOBAL DAD DAY “dementia Awareness Day” Sept 21st 2013 as you know will be donated to Alzheimer’s research UK.
So, how can a little town like Torquay in Deepest Devon be leading the way on Dementia friendly communities and Dementia awareness? The answer is quite simple really, we haven’t over- thought it! We haven’t looked into it so deeply that the job becomes too big to manage, and also we have asked people with “Early onset “dementia what they think and what they would like to see happen in their town!! As their illness`s progresses hopefully they will have the knowledge they themselves have made that “Difference” not only for themselves but for many others who will come in the future, as well as those who are in later stages right now. We haven’t TOLD them what`s going to happen, we have asked them first and acted upon it.
So tomorrow my answers’ to their questions will be answered by “Because we WANT to make that difference” We don’t want paying for it!! We don’t want the “Kudos” or the slap on the back!! We just want to get on with it. We are realistic and know in our heart of hearts you CANNOT train everybody up in Dementia and its awful ways, but what you can do is to make more people aware of what it entails and will spark the questions in everybody’s head that will ignite their very own fire to find out more about it themselves with a lot of help from us.
I, for one, am looking forward to tomorrow, hope you are too, and if anybody would like to know how we have done this here in Torbay here are a few links and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime you wish to.
TOGETHER “WE CAN MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE”
Link to Dementia friendly community page and how many so far have been signed up, more to be added, needs updating
P.S I am on the left of the PM
http://www.palm.fm/p/whats-on/dementia-awareness
My e mail is
norrms@gmail.com
Very best wishes, Norrms Mc Namara “Diagnosed myself 5, nearly 6 years ago now and STILL fighting it!!
PPS I have just been this very moment been asked to do something very exciting in July over the phone, more news to come!! Xxx
I have been asked to take a phone call from the firm ICF GHK who are an international firm of consultants who have been contracted to evaluate the Local Dementia Action Alliance Programme funded by the Department of Health's Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development Fund (TSIP)
The reason for their phone call to me is a very interesting one as they are asking the question “How has the Torbay Dementia Action Alliance become so successful and sustainable “WITHOUT” the help of any Govt funding? Also, how is it we have come so far, so soon, and yet (some, not all ) others WITH GOVT FUNDING are either still sat around talking about it or haven’t even come anywhere near as far as we have here in Torbay, Cornwall and Plymouth !!!!!
You can quite rightly believe I have ALL my answers written down and some home truths are going to be spoken. They have to be!! We are really pleased the way things have been going here in the South West and also in other parts of the country, and yet we are so frustrated that other parts seem to be dragging their feet when it really is so simple to become dementia aware and dementia friendly, and at very little cost too!!
So many people get “Hung Up” on funding these days but the thing is, funding is given, but also taken away!! Donations from good honest people who really want to make a difference is not!! It’s collected and spent where it should be, on the people who matter, those with Dementia and their loved ones and carers!!
This is exactly what we will be doing with the money we raise in November from a Concert. All proceeds will go towards buying GPS Alert systems for those with Dementia and who are prone to wandering. Not only will this reduce the stress and the worry of relatives but also help all search and rescue teams come to, hopefully a happy outcome and not the horror story endings we are so used to reading. We hope to get straight to the problem and resolve it best we can.
All proceeds from this year’s GLOBAL DAD DAY “dementia Awareness Day” Sept 21st 2013 as you know will be donated to Alzheimer’s research UK.
So, how can a little town like Torquay in Deepest Devon be leading the way on Dementia friendly communities and Dementia awareness? The answer is quite simple really, we haven’t over- thought it! We haven’t looked into it so deeply that the job becomes too big to manage, and also we have asked people with “Early onset “dementia what they think and what they would like to see happen in their town!! As their illness`s progresses hopefully they will have the knowledge they themselves have made that “Difference” not only for themselves but for many others who will come in the future, as well as those who are in later stages right now. We haven’t TOLD them what`s going to happen, we have asked them first and acted upon it.
So tomorrow my answers’ to their questions will be answered by “Because we WANT to make that difference” We don’t want paying for it!! We don’t want the “Kudos” or the slap on the back!! We just want to get on with it. We are realistic and know in our heart of hearts you CANNOT train everybody up in Dementia and its awful ways, but what you can do is to make more people aware of what it entails and will spark the questions in everybody’s head that will ignite their very own fire to find out more about it themselves with a lot of help from us.
I, for one, am looking forward to tomorrow, hope you are too, and if anybody would like to know how we have done this here in Torbay here are a few links and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me anytime you wish to.
TOGETHER “WE CAN MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE”
Link to Dementia friendly community page and how many so far have been signed up, more to be added, needs updating
P.S I am on the left of the PM
http://www.palm.fm/p/whats-on/dementia-awareness
My e mail is
norrms@gmail.com
Very best wishes, Norrms Mc Namara “Diagnosed myself 5, nearly 6 years ago now and STILL fighting it!!
PPS I have just been this very moment been asked to do something very exciting in July over the phone, more news to come!! Xxx
