Helen Canell from the Alzheimers Society

Helen Canell of the Alzheimer’s Society

    Helen started off by confirming that there are over 800,000 people suffering from Dementia in the UK and that this number is set to increase to over a million by 2021. About 30% of funding for the work of the Society came from Government and the rest had to be raised from the public and the contribution made by organisations such as Rotary Clubs was most welcome.

    Helen outlined that there were three areas of effort by the Society, namely Research, Services, and the coordination of volunteers. With regard to research it is claimed that Alzheimer’s is a disease and not a product of ageing and that there are a large number of variants, being eight times less prevalent than cancer and that research centres on care, cure and prevention.

    With regard to Services, she outlined the efforts of support workers and the work done in meetings and an understanding of networking. Dementia Cafe’s, Monthly meetings of patients with reading out loud sessions, dancing and singing group sessions and other activities within the community.

    Regarding the Volunteers there is a campaign for expanding diagnoses and forming Dementia Action Groups.  Helen then asked for three volunteers from the meeting and three brave younger members stood up – Ashley, Tony and Sarah, who were each given a piece of paper with a 73 years old profile. They were asked to consider the following mundane tasks being read out from the statement – could they make tea, do the ironing, vote at an election, dress themselves, select TV programmes, visit the local shop, make some toast, work in a charity shop and do a crossword puzzle. The older members of the Club were somewhat bemused but were delighted when President Ashley presented Helen with a cheque for the Alzheimer’s Society for £500. 

    Gerald, one of the older members, gave a vote of thanks for Helen’s interesting talk, supported by Club members generally.