Haskins Garden Centre in West End hosts event in collaboration with Speedwell Court Care Home during Dementia Action Week

Haskins in West End has teamed up with Speedwell Court Care Home to host a free open event for those wanting to learn more about living well with dementia.

 

The event takes place on Monday May 20 from 10am in the Haskins’ Swan Room during Dementia Action Week (20-26 May). Haskins team members will be encouraged to attend in order to have a wider understanding of dementia and members of the public are also invited to attend.

There will be stalls and presentations from:

  • Dementia Friends – an Alzheimer’s Society initiative, aiming to encourage community members to undergo training and become a Dementia Friend. This session will be hosted by Eastleigh Rotary.
  • Day care and home support from One Community, an Eastleigh-based charity.
  • Additional dementia-friendly activity groups.

Dementia Action Week aims to create a dementia-friendly UK where those with dementia do not feel excluded. In the UK alone, there are 850,000 people affected by dementia.

Peter Callaway, centre manager at Haskins in West End, commented: “We are pleased to be supporting Speedwell Court Care Home, which has opened just around the corner from our West End centre, and we hope to forge a strong working relationship with the care home going forwards.

“Too many people affected by dementia feel that society fails to understand the condition they live with, and hopefully by hosting events like this, we can help to raise awareness of and increase understanding of dementia.”

Speedwell Court will also be providing demonstrations of Tovertafel at the event. Dutch for ‘magic table’, the Tovertafel is an innovative way to stimulate both physical and cognitive activity for those living with dementia, through interactive games. The Tovertafel is permanently set up for residents and their families at Speedwell Court’s Activities Room.

Deborah Holmes, customer relations manager at Speedwell Court Care Home, commented: “We’re very grateful to Haskins for hosting this event and look forward to increasing awareness about how you can live well with dementia.

“It’s an exciting time as Speedwell Court is new for Southampton and will be welcoming its first residents in June and July.”