Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a set of symptoms and behaviours that occur when the brain stops working properly. This results in loss of independent function for that person.
Daily brain exercises may help decrease your risk of developing dementia by building cognitive reserve.
This page will help you to find local services in relation to dementia quickly and efficiently.
If you are living with dementia, this section offers some practical advice on living your life to the full.
Within communities people are taking action, big and small steps that make a difference in the everyday lives of people with dementia. Find out what actions you can take and the supports available.
Businesses or service providers can make a big difference to the quality of life of people with dementia and their families. Find out what actions you can take and the supports available.
A community champion inspires others to make a positive difference to people living with dementia and their families. Find out how you can become a community champion and the supports available.
How to diminish the risk factors and reduce the risk of developing dementia.
The name of this website and of the wider campaign is Understand Together. The name was carefully chosen, to reflect exactly what we want to achieve.
Understand Together is a public support, awareness and information campaign It is aimed at inspiring people from all sections of society to stand together with the 500,000 Irish people whose families have been affected by dementia. We want to help create an Ireland that embraces and includes people living with dementia, and which displays solidarity with them and their loved ones.
Through Understand Together we aim to weave a connecting thread through all the vital and committed local services that are already in place in Ireland. We want to make them easier to find and understand. As well as this website, the campaign will use advertising and the media to increase awareness. We want to inspire new groups, organisations and communities to think about ways in which they can contribute to building an Ireland that supports those living with dementia and their families in a better way.
We want to encourage individuals, businesses and other organisations to take small practical steps to help build compassionate communities that provide vital social support to those experiencing dementia.
These are the wide ranging objectives of the Understand Together campaign:
Understand Together is one of six key elements of the National Dementia Strategyand has been made possible through a funding partnership between the State and The Atlantic Philanthropies. The campaign is led by the HSE's Health and Wellbeing Division.
The campaign seeks to build on the wide range of dementia specific programmes and initiatives already in place around Ireland. It will draw together the people and organisations involved in this work, to join them with wider society, with the health service, with new partnerslike retail and transport organisations, financial services, and with neighbours and friends, to create a national movement which will help support those living with dementia and their loved ones.
