Monday 2 to Sunday 8 June is Dementia Awareness Week in Scotland. At VOCAL, we are here to support you if you care for someone with dementia. A dementia diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but understanding the condition can help you better support a loved one.
We have listed a range of events and resources you can access if you are looking for further support. This year’s theme is the power of friendship in supporting those with dementia.
Upcoming VOCAL Carer Training events
These events aim to help you understand the condition better and to develop practical and emotional strategies for coping with your caring responsibilities. Our dementia sessions are run by an specialist dementia nurses.
Understanding dementia | Thursday 12 June | 10am to 12pm | Online
This session is aimed at carers supporting someone in the early or mid-stages of dementia.
Stress and distress in dementia | Friday 20 June | 2pm to 3:30pm | Online
This session will help you understand and manage behaviour you might find distressing, or hard to deal with.
Events with Alzheimer Scotland
Alzheimer Scotland are running various events throughout Dementia Awareness Week. You can join these events even if you have not been to any with Alzheimer Scotland before. Call Alzheimer Scotland on 0131 654 1114 or use the button below to find out more.
These events welcome people with dementia and their families, carers and friends to come together to support one another and celebrate the power of friendship.
Here’s what’s on in Edinburgh and Midlothian:
| Event | Date and time | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain gym: Taster session | Monday 2 June, 10:30am to 12pm | Gorebridge Library, 98 Hunterfield Road, EH23 4TT | Brain gyms provide 10-week small group cognitive stimulation therapy-based sessions to help keep your brain active. Join our Community Activity Organiser, Karolina Kuna, for a taster session! |
| Information stand: Drop-in | Tuesday 3 June, 10am to 4pm | Cameron Toll, 6 Lady Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5PB | Drop in at any time to speak to a dementia advisor from Alzheimer Scotland. |
| Information stand: Drop-in | Wednesday 4 June, 10am to 4pm | The Gyle Shopping Centre, 12-13 Gyle Avenue, Edinburgh, EH12 9JX | Drop in at any time to speak to a dementia advisor from Alzheimer Scotland. |
| Penicuik morning meet-up | Wednesday 4 June, 10:30am to 12pm | The Craigie Hotel, 50 Bog Road, Penicuik, EH26 9BZ | Join us for free tea, coffee, refreshments, activities, and carer peer support! |
| Carer peer support group | Wednesday 4 June, 3pm to 4:30pm | Bonnyrigg Health Centre, Community Room, 109 High Street, EH19 2DA | Join the Midlothian Dementia Team, British Red Cross, VOCAL, and Alzheimer Scotland to meet other people sharing a similar experience and find out more about local support services. Carers can attend with the person you care for. |
| Vogrie Park morning meet-up | Thursday 5 June, 10:30am to 12:30pm | Vogrie Country Park, Gorebridge, EH23 4NU | Join us for a gentle, greenery-filled walk followed by refreshments at the Treetop Café. |
| Penicuik dementia café | Thursday 5 June, 1:30pm to 3pm | Cowan Court, Penicuik, EH26 8BF | Join us for free tea, coffee, refreshments, live, participative musical entertainment, and facilitated carer peer support |
Dementia clinics with Dementia UK and Nationwide
If you care for someone who has dementia, you can book a free 45-minute appointment with a dementia specialist nurse for expert, tailored support, whatever your questions or concerns.
These nurses are known as Admiral Nurses – they help people living with dementia to stay independent for longer. They also support the people caring for them so that you can have the strength to cope with the bad days, and the energy to enjoy the good days.
Admiral Nurses work in local community services, GP practices and NHS hospitals, care homes, and hospices. All appointments are confidential and will take place in a private space within the branch.
The Nationwide Edinburgh dementia clinic takes place on Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 June at 17 South St Andrew Street, EH2 2AU.
If you are unable to book online, you can text “APPOINTMENT” to 07478 724000 and someone from the Dementia UK team will call you back.
Reading is Caring events with Scottish Book Trust
The Scottish Book Trust runs a programme called Reading is Caring, which supports people living with dementia and their carers.
The sensory experience of reading can help those with dementia to feel less stressed, and to spark their memories. This activity can also help you bond, bringing you and the person you care for closer together.
They run two Reading is Caring online workshops per week.
Eric Liddell Community: Events and resources
The Eric Liddell Community offers a range of services for people living with dementia and their carers, including a music wellbeing programme, community support, and a daycare service.
They also run a free programme of events for all unpaid carers. which includes dementia-inclusive lunches.
Other resources
Caring for a person with dementia can be physically and mentally demanding, so it’s vital that you also look after yourself. No-one should face dementia alone.
These organisations provide advice and information on how to manage your relationships while caring for someone with dementia, symptoms checklists, and signposts to other services.
