The city of Sheffield is England’s fourth largest city. Tragically, similar to so many prior to gaining the support of the Dementia Trust, there existed zero culturally appropriate dementia care and support for people of African and Caribbean heritage.
2022 saw two separate, like-minded sets of people, SACHMA’s ‘Community Health Advisers’ alongside ‘Cultural Appropriate Resources’ began to collaborate towards ensuring that this gulf was bridged, several others were soon to join on this mission.
Cultural Appropriate Resources was successful in obtaining a ‘Disrupting Dementia’ Award from the Dementia Trust, which alongside following support from the Postcode Neighbourhood Trust resulted with an ambitious programme of developing a dementia support project alongside digitally accessible culturally responsive resources.
As a result of the stigma that still exists throughout the community in regard to dementia and Alzheimer's disease, ‘Dementia Café’ was specifically avoided as the name for the group, the 'Memory Hub' was selected.
Sheffield’s ‘Memory Hub’ now formed, focuses on addressing many of the underlying issues:
- Ensuring individuals with cognitive challenges have a culturally stimulating, supportive, fun, empowering weekly activity group that they are able to both attend and develop
- Distinguishing the differences between traditional African and Caribbean notions of ‘forgetfulness’ and the actual realities of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Providing families with accessible culturally responsive resources that they can engage with alongside their loved ones
- Ensuring family care – partners (carers) have an environment providing guidance, advice, respite and peer support
- Ensuring care homes are more adaptable and culturally accommodating
- Empowering care workers with culturally appropriate tools
- Signposting to appropriate support, guidance and advice
- Development of non-pharmacological interventions
- Increase timely accurate dementia diagnosis
- Reducing stigma by increasing awareness
