Dementia and Living Well course (week 1)

Are you an unpaid Carer looking after someone with Dementia?

Knowing that the person you care for has Dementia/Alzheimer’s is difficult enough to say the least and Hereford Carers Support believe that by providing Carers with as much information and preparation as possible it will enable them to give the best possible care.

It is also a huge relief for the Carers to meet others in a similar position, and know that support is available.

Week 1. Introductions (20 April 2026)

We take time to introduce ourselves and explain our caring roles and discuss what Dementia is

Week 2. Information (27 April 2025)

We explain about how Dementia affects the brain and memory and impairs our ability to function as we once did

Week 3. The Cared For (4 May 2025)

We discuss coping strategies and ways of living well with Dementia, as well as looking at any legal aspects which may be necessary for us to consider

Week 4. The Carer (11 May 2025)

We look at planning for our own needs as a Carer and Contingency Planning. This includes support options and discussion around services which are available to us as carers.

Week 5. Local Resources (25 May 2025)

We discover what information and support there is in Herefordshire to meet the needs of Carers and we focus on local support services and options for the continued well-being of both the Carer and the Cared for.

In order that you get the most out of either of the courses you will need to attend each of the five sessions. For more information or to book a place please contact Herefordshire Carers Support on 01432 356068 or email help@herefordshirecarerssupport.org

Dementia 2014 infographic by Alzheimers Society

Impact of dementia

Dementia costs the UK £26.3 Billion a year. That’s enough to pay the annual energy bill of every household in the country.

Unpaid carers: overworked, under-supported. Two thirds of the cost of dementia is picked up by people with dementia and their families.

• Cost to people with dementia and their families: £17.4bn
• 1,340,000,000 hours were spent caring for people for dementia in 2013. That’s more than 150,000 years
• 43% of carers don’t receive enough support.

Scale of dementia

850,000 people live with dementia in the UK. If we don’t take action this number is predicted to rise to over two million by 2051.

What is dementia?

Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s disease.

• 62% Alzheimer’s disease
• 17% Vascular dementia
• 10% Mixed dementia
• 5% Rarer causes of dementia
• 4% Dementia with Lewy bodies
• 2% Frontotemporal dementia