THE Western Trust is continuing with its journey to become ‘Dementia Friendly’.
Altnagelvin is the first hospital in the North of Ireland to have initiated the regional Dementia Friendly Communities Project being led by the Alzheimer’s Society.
As part of the project and to raise awareness of dementia amongst younger people, Year 8 and 9 pupils from St Cecilia’s College were invited to be involved in an art competition. The competition was to design a poster based on being ‘Dementia Friendly’.
The winner of the poster competition was Tamzin White from Year 9 and all posters, including Tamzin’s, were displayed in the main corridor in South Wing at Altnagelvin Hospital.
The number of people in Northern Ireland with dementia is steadily increasing.
In recent years it has been estimated that 19,765 people are living with dementia in Northern Ireland, and this figure is expected to rise to 60,000 by the year 2051, it is imperative that dementia care is prioritised in all settings and people are aware of the signs and symptoms of dementia.
Majella Magee, Dementia Coordinator for the Western Trust said:
“We were very impressed, not least with the high quality artwork we received, but also with the level of knowledge and understanding the pupils of St Cecilia’s College already had on dementia.
“Developing strong relationships within our local communities and encouraging them to be dementia aware helps strengthen our aim to become a dementia friendly hospital.”
Speaking about being involved in the competition, Catherine Currie, Senior Teacher at St. Cecilia’s College, said:
“We were proud to work with Altnagelvin on this shared educational project. As a DEED award winning school, which was accredited with awards on promoting Dementia awareness among students and staff, this was an easy task for our students.
“They were equipped to utilise their prior knowledge on Dementia to create stimulating visual displays in the hospital.
“Tamzin was delighted to be the prize recipient and has enjoyed seeing her work on display in the hospital.”
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