Dementia - the rural challenge

In May 2018, Sally Farrant (Dioces of Exeter Social Responsibility Officer) spoke to the Devon Churches Rural Forum about the particular challenges of dementia in the rural areas.The research comes from an Alzheimer's Society research project in rural Wales. The challenges include:

• lack of dementia awareness in rural communities - and the need for people to continue friendships
• lack of rural awareness in health and support services - for example difficulty accessing services due to transport issues
• the importance of personal support networks

Sally highlights the new Dementia Friendly Rural Communities Guide, and also provides links to various groups of parishes that have become "dementia friendly villages" and encourages us all to host dementia friends sessions for our churches and communities. She concludes with a very moving, personal story.

You can download a pdf of her notes here.