£100,000 boost for dementia friendly communities

The money will be used to add further value to eight dementia friendly communities that are already making a difference across Scotland, including the award winning Arora project run by An Lanntair, a creative arts hub in Stornoway.

Scottish charity the Life Changes Trust invested £180,000 in An Lanntair in 2015, to establish a bi-lingual dementia friendly community which would look at the benefits an oral tradition can have in retaining good memory skills and a sense of belonging.

The project uses various art forms and techniques as memory tools for engaging with people affected by dementia, as well as working with the wider community.

This extra funding from the William Grant Foundation will help Arora to expand their work with carers of people living with dementia.

In collaboration with local businesses, Arora will offer ‘Me Time’ vouchers to carers, to spend on things like films, evening classes, theatre, sports sessions, haircuts or trips.

These vouchers will give carers greater choice in how they take time out from their caring roles.

In Scotland, it is estimated that around 93,000 people have dementia and this number is increasing, because the population is getting older.

Based on current dementia prevalence rates, the number of people with dementia in Scotland is projected to double by 2038.