Dementia Action Week 2022 (16 - 22 May) is focusing on the theme of diagnosis. At Link Age Southwark we visit people at home who have received a diagnosis of dementia and discuss how our services – befriending and groups - may suit them. A befriending relationship with a volunteer can offer support, friendship, understanding and help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Our dementia-specific groups at Link Age Southwark provide a variety of stimulating social activities. They range from our ever-popular weekly singing group, Musical Memories, to another weekly group that alternates between reading and poetry, quizzes games and gentle exercise, and art. 

During Dementia Action Week our singing group Musical Memories takes place on Tuesday afternoon and our Art group on Thursday. Previous sessions in this group have included Surrealist-inspired art, Georgia O’Keefe’s flowers, shadow drawing, collage work and mindful doodling. During Dementia Action Week we plan to focus on how storytelling can inspire wonderful art.

Our groups are tailored to individual tastes, talents, backgrounds and personalities and our Art group is particularly good at highlighting the diverse range of artistic flair that our members bring to the group.

As Dementia Action Week is putting a spotlight on diagnosis this year we spoke to one of our group members and also a carer who attends our carers’ group to ask their thoughts. Below is what they said.

“To anybody worried about going to the GP, I say ‘go, go, go’! Don’t pretend it’s not there!”

“I would urge anyone who is worried to seek medical help. Some symptoms of dementia – for example confusion – might result from an infection, so it is really important that this is ruled out first”.

“The diagnosis was actually positive because we then had access to memory clinic support”.

Below are some images of our art group, hard at work.