We’re proud to announce that our Company, and many individuals within it, have become ‘Dementia Friends’. The Dementia Friends program, run by the Alzheimer’s Society, is an initiative aimed at education and changing perceptions of dementia.

The program has developed a charter, which provides information and guidelines on how we can be more aware of the issues faced by people living with dementia and their families when dealing with financial service organisations.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, states that “People living with dementia tell us that one of the biggest challenges they face is dealing with banks, building societies and insurance companies.

“Our goal is to help create improved consistency between financial service organisations in recognising dementia, understanding how dementia can impact customers and by showing them how to respond to customers in a way that treats them with respect and helps them retain their dignity and as much independence.”

Brighton Williams has embraced this initiative and we have set about making our organisation more helpful and easy to deal with for our vulnerable clients. An induction program focusing on awareness and response, has been set up using the resources available through the Dementia Friends website. Post-session feedback received from participants has been very positive – with the consensus being that the session was “eye-opening”. Several of those who took part in the sessions have a connection with someone living with dementia, and this has brought a very personal and poignant perspective to the workshops.

Our next steps are to incorporate the expectations of the charter into our day-to-day practices, and to allocate an ‘Advocate’ within the Company, who will be responsible for implementation, support and training.

If you would like more information on becoming a Dementia Friend, either as an individual or as a business, please visit the Dementia Friends website for more information.