Local care provider brings community together through dementia-friendly initiatives across Mid Sussex
Local live-in care provider Promedica24 has brought together people living with dementia and their carers through a festive memory café, run in collaboration with Age UK West Sussex and the Sussex Rotary Club.
The most recent session was held at Adastra Hall in Hassocks, and welcomed 24 attendees, who came together to enjoy tea, coffee and cakes, while listening to Christmas songs and carols performed by the local U3A choir.
The memory cafés run weekly across mid-Sussex, including in Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint and Haywards Heath, and are open to anyone living with dementia, offering a welcoming and supportive space for both those with a diagnosis and those who support them.
The cafés are part of wider efforts led by Promedica24 across mid-Sussex to create dementia-friendly communities. A key part of this is the Lewes & District Dementia Action Alliance (LDDAA), whose members include Lesley Cruickshank-Robb from Promedica24 alongside a wide range of professionals from across the care sector. The Alliance meets monthly to share knowledge, raise awareness and drive practical action to make Lewes and the surrounding district more dementia friendly.
Their latest meeting was more festive in spirit, as they organised a party for the dementia peer support group allowing regular attendees to spend time together, enjoying some food and a friendly game of darts.
The Lewes & District Dementia Action Alliance also had a presence at the town’s signature Lewes Late Night Shopping event organised by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce, where members engaged with local residents and businesses to raise awareness of dementia-friendly practices. The Alliance also ran a tombola which raised £138 to support its ongoing efforts.
Alongside this work, Promedica24 also leads the Sussex Care Hub which brings together care professionals from across the private, public and voluntary sectors including, social prescribers, NHS professionals, physiotherapists, audiologists, podiatrists, solicitors and end-of-life specialists, to strengthen joined-up support for people across Sussex.
Lesley Cruickshank-Robb, Care Consultant at Promedica24 East and Mid Sussex and Vice-Chair of the LDDAA, said: “Building dementia friendly communities is crucial to ensuring that people affected by this condition feel supported, included and able to remain part of everyday life. I am delighted that Promedica24 is able to support this and work in partnership with local businesses and care professionals to make Sussex a more welcoming place for people living with dementia and those who care for them.
“As live-in care providers, we help people to maintain their independence by living at home, providing additional support that enables them to remain active, connected and involved in their local communities.”