Becoming a dementia-friendly firm

We’re pleased to announce that Barcan+Kirby has taken the first steps towards becoming a dementia-friendly law firm.

Anna Molter, of our Wills and trusts team, recently attended awareness training to become a ‘Dementia Friend’. The training looked at the disease and its impact, as well as ways in which Anna can provide support to clients with dementia in order to make their experience with us easier to manage.

Anna will now undertake training with the Alzheimer’s Society to become a ‘Dementia Champion’ – this is someone who supports others to make a positive difference to people living with dementia in their community.

On becoming a ‘Dementia Friend’, Anna said:

“I’ve been involved in helping and advising elderly clients for 13 years and have seen first-hand the effect of dementia on the person with the disease, their carers and their family.

Recently I was lucky enough to meet Tony Hall, founder of the Bristol Dementia Action Alliance. Tony set up the charity following his wife’s dementia diagnosis, with the aim of making Bristol the most dementia friendly city in the UK. Having heard his story, I was interested in finding out more about the disease and using that knowledge to help my clients.

I attended a ‘Dementia Friend’ training session, run by the South Gloucestershire Dementia Action Alliance, which I found to be truly inspiring. I’m now looking to get more actively involved with the initiative in both Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

My training has already been put to good use in dealing with a client who has short-term memory problems which are becoming progressively worse. He is understandably scared at his diagnosis but I’ve reassured him that he can still live well with dementia. I’ve also suggested that he attends a ‘Memory Cafe’ to talk to others with dementia and which will hopefully help him in his journey.”

Further information

The Dementia Friends scheme is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative which is designed to help change the way people think, talk and act about dementia.

For further information, visit www.dementiafriends.org.uk or contact us on 0117 325 2929.