Alzheimer’s Society and The FA’s Support The Supporters campaign is taking place during the Emirates FA Cup third round and Adobe Women’s FA Cup fourth round from 9 to 13 January.
The campaign was launched during last season’s FA Cup fourth round, and it aims to increase awareness of dementia symptoms and encourage fans to take the first steps in seeking an all-important diagnosis.
Directly or indirectly, dementia will affect one in two people in the UK. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form.
In Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton there are levels of dementia above the national average.
MFC Foundation are very much part of the landscape of dementia care. Visits are made to care homes and there are dances in Middlesbrough and Skelton once a month. Stories are told, people are listened to and everyone is reminded they are valued.
In association with Dementia Action Teesside, the Foundation hosts a dance in the Legends Lounge once a month where former Boro and England star Alan Peacock, who is living with dementia, is a regular attendee.
Visits are made to care homes around the region, with Boro memorabilia always part of the visit, with staff often reporting enhanced emotional wellbeing among residents during and after the visits.
Maintaining good cognitive health is increasingly important and the difference a photo, press cutting or match programme can make is rewarding as residents often recall names, faces and matches long thought forgotten.
Similarly, once a month at Senses Wellbeing in Skelton, those living with dementia mix with those with other additional needs in a Foundation-backed afternoon which has seen a large increase in attendance since its inception three years ago, while tours of the Riverside have proved another meaningful route of engagement.
Late last year, the Foundation’s dementia programme was named Programme of the Year at their annual dinner.