Creating dementia-friendly communities

Photo of Jenni with Karen Harborow in front of a collaborative piece painted by five to six artists from the day centre in Brunswick Heads, all who are living with dementia. Photo Aslan Shand.

We often think of dementia as a loss of memory that happens to old people – but in fact it is more than that – and there are many people who are affected by early onset dementia as early as their 40s. The Northern Rivers has a large population of people living with cognitive impairments and dementia,’ said Karen Harborow the Dementia-Friendly Communities activity coordinator at the Byron Shire Respite Service in Brunswick Heads. A diagnosis of dementia, especially at a younger age – can be devastating and really isolating, but the right support in the early stages can make the world a brighter place for people and their loved-ones impacted by dementia in our region.

Click here to read the article in full by Aslan Shand of the EchoNet Daily