'Passionate' home care worker becomes Dementia Friends Champion

Right at Home Preston has celebrated the success of home care professional Sharon Collinson, who has become a Dementia Friends Champion and been commended for her passion about caring.

In her role as a Dementia Friends Champion, Ms Collinson will now go on to raise awareness of dementia by hosting information sessions for the general public, family and friends through her work place.

Dementia Friends is a national campaign run by Alzheimer’s Society aimed at increasing awareness of the disease which currently affects over 850,000 people in the UK and show people how they can help those living with the illness.

As part of the initiative, nearly 900,000 people have become Dementia Friends and many people like Ms Collinson have carried out extra training to become a Dementia Friends Champion.

She said: “I want to bring down the stigma that is often attached to people with dementia. Raising awareness of the condition helps to give them empowerment and make them feel valued. Dementia is not age related and it affects a growing number of people from all walks of life.

“It is often very misunderstood and this can make life much harder for those living with it. I want to work with police and fire officers as well as local business owners, to help create dementia-friendly environments in our local communities.”

Ms Collinson was commended for her communication skills and the passion she demonstrated for helping people who live with different forms of dementia.

The first of Ms Collinson’s Information Sessions will soon be held at the Right at Home Preston office and details can be found at: www.rightathomeuk.com/preston

Right at Home caregivers provide a range of home care services including personal care, domestic services and companionship to help people continue living independently in their own home.