Side by Side
Side by Side is a free service for people with early to moderate dementia. This empowering project supports them in nurturing the things they love through the support of a volunteer.
As a person-centred programme, people with dementia will their own volunteer, who has similar interests to them.
Volunteers will provide one to one support to people with dementia improving access to universal services such as public transport and leisure activities and enabling their participation in everyday life.
The Side by Side service has been put in place to meet a number of key aims:
- To support people with dementia to live independent and fulfilling lives within their local area.
- To ensure people with dementia are not excluded from services and activity and are able to remain active and involved in their communities.
- To combat social isolation and the loneliness this can lead to.
- To empower people with dementia to develop their own solutions and responses to meet their identified needs and wishes.
- To support people with dementia to identify their own personal talents, strengths and capabilities and what they can bring to their peers and the wider community.
- To develop and encourage community based informal support networks for people with dementia To link people with dementia and local volunteers to build networks of support and activity
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