A NEW support group for those caring for someone with dementia has been launched in Lyme Regis.
The monthly communication and advice sessions will be held at Waffle Lyme on the first Monday of every month, from 10am to 2pm.
The group was started by Kate Sturgess, who stepped in to care for her own dad with dementia when her mum died.
Completely lost and out of her depth, Kate found that her experience as a carer was greatly improved by the guidance of the charity Contented Dementia Trust and its SPECAL method, a unique dementia management method that can be learned and used by anyone involved in the care of a person with dementia.
Kate now works for the charity, helping other families and carers understand what is happening to a person’s ability to store new memories, why this can have such a huge effect on everyday life, and how a few simple – although sometimes quite counter-intuitive – techniques can help make situations less stressful and more manageable.
The format will be the same each month, with an introduction and a question and answer session from 10am to 11.30am, supporting anyone new to the group and giving them the opportunity to ask questions and talk about their own situation.
This will be followed from 12pm to 1.30pm by a recap, follow-on workshop and a question and answer session, aimed at those who have already attended an introduction and would like to explore the ideas further, share experiences and look at how they can be applied in everyday situations.
There’s no need to book, just go along on the first Monday of the month.