Learmount Resource Centre in Park Village is celebrating its first anniversary as a Dementia-Friendly Hub thanks to £20,000 in funding from the Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership.
This project was part funded under Priority 6 (LEADER) of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the European Union’.
The building in the Co. Derry village has been refurbished so that people with dementia and their carers are able to make use of outreach services and socialise in their local village in a safe space, reducing rural isolation in the area.
In 2016 Learmount Community Development Group Ltd (LCDG) was the first rural community group in Northern Ireland to go dementia-friendly. It came about after staff noticed a number of long-term members had dropped out of classes for older people as they no longer felt comfortable attending because of their dementia symptoms.
Caroline made contact with the Alzheimer’s Society (AS) and sought advice on how to make the building and services more dementia-friendly. AS set up a series of training events for local people which proved to be hugely popular, with the first attracting 53 people. Training was also extended to local rural businesses, transport providers and volunteers delivering services in the area.
Meanwhile, one of the volunteers was trained to provide a signposting service for families affected by dementia and an expert was brought in to assess the premises and advise on physical changes that could make the site more dementia-friendly.
Manager Caroline Lynch says: “The RDP funding allowed for refurbishment of the kitchen, including replacing cupboard doors with a transparent finish so that people could see inside and replacing the cooker which had controls at the back. Signage was installed throughout the building.
“Doors and walls were painted in contrasting colours to make them easier to navigate and a small herb planting area was created outside where the social group could carry out gardening activities. It also allowed the group to install a laptop and whiteboard for the purpose of training and dementia activities.”
The refurbishment has already reaped rewards. Since 2019 the Learmount Group have been working in partnership with Dementia Engaged and Empowered in Derry and Strabane (DEEDS) through the Old Library Trust.
This partnership has resulted in securing funding from the National Lottery Community Fund to put in place services for families living with Dementia. One of these services is the Dementia Social Morning with the maximum of ten people with dementia and their carers now attending.
“We’ve noticed that the carers get as much out of the social morning as the people with dementia. The carers enjoy the opportunity to socialise and talk with other families who are also living with dementia. This sharing of experiences contributes to the health and wellbeing of all participants,” Caroline says.
The centre is also home to outreach services including GP services, a post office, citizens’ advice and luncheon club, and the refurbishment means these services are now dementia friendly.
“It allows people at the very early stages of dementia to retain their independence when using local services such as the post office and outreach clinic” Caroline says.
The funding has enabled LCDG to provide an essential service in a rural area. The Dementia Social Morning takes place every Monday from 11am – 1pm and is available to families living with dementia.
Caroline says: “It’s great to come in on a Monday morning and see people around the table talking and socialising and being able to share their stories. It’s amazing what we are providing in our rural community and it can only grow.”
The LEADER Fund is administered by Derry City and Strabane District Council on behalf of Derry and Strabane Rural Partnership.
