Two Nantwich organisations have joined forces to produce a guide to help local businesses become more dementia friendly.<\/p>\n
The Dementia Friendly Nantwich Guide for Businesses supports local firms in accommodating visitors living with dementia.<\/p>\n
It has been created by Dementia Friendly Nantwich, a local volunteer group of family members and different organisations, and Direct Access, a local disability accessibility consultancy.<\/p>\n
It offers top tips, facts and figures as well as signposting to additional resources.<\/p>\n
In Nantwich, 43.8% of residents are over fifty years of age.<\/p>\n
And with 225,000 people in UK diagnosed each year and an ageing population, there is a strong business case for being accessible.<\/p>\n
The guide highlights small steps businesses can take that do not require significant investment from clear signage to reducing noise levels and even simply engaging with the person.<\/p>\n
People with dementia may lack confidence in travelling, communicating in noisy environments and become confused in unfamiliar surroundings.<\/p>\n
Steve Dering, operations officer at Direct Access on Regent\u2019s Park, said: “When businesses are dementia friendly, they benefit from being seen to be socially responsible.<\/p>\n
“People feel reassured and part of the local community.<\/p>\n
“They may spend more and will return again and again when they know somewhere that they are comfortable.”<\/p>\n
Ben Selby, Chair of Creating Dementia Friendly Nantwich and owner of Nantwich\u2019s Hospital Street based Home Care company, Right at Home, said: “It\u2019s been brilliant to tab into local expertise to create this toolkit, which we hope will make becoming a dementia friendly business more straightforward than some business owners may think.”<\/p>\n