Dr Rema Swarna, of the Trust’s Memory Assessment Service, said: “This DVD is designed to help raise awareness by providing information on dementia and the support available. It aims to give a positive message of hope, show how people can live well despite having dementia and explain the support available for carers.
“The number of referrals we receive concerning people from black and minority ethnic communities does not reflect the prevalence of dementia within this community and we want to be able to help families who may be struggling.”
Staff have witnessed that there is a general lack of awareness and a stigma attached to mental health issues within black and minority ethnic communities and the DVD is just one way in which the Memory Assessment Service and the Older Adults Psychology Service aims to improve awareness and understanding within this community.
The film, called ‘Living Well with Dementia’, has been produced in Hindi and Urdu by the Trust’s mental health services for older people with funding from the Alzheimer’s Society. It features contributions and stories from service users and carers and explores what it is like to live with dementia, the associated difficulties, coping strategies as well as sources of support and advice.
With funding through the Trust charity, Caring Minds, the DVD is also due to be translated into Punjabi, Gujarati and Bengali.
And it is hoped the film will encourage members of the South Asian community to become dementia champions.
You can watch both a Hindi and English version of the DVD on our YouTube channel here.
