Raising later-life awareness across Exeter, East and Mid Devon
The 2023 Community Talks season was a record breaking one for the Exeter & East Devon team, with over 40 free Home Instead workshops led across the region, stretching from Tiverton in the north, throughout Exeter, Sidmouth in the South and Lyme Regis to the west.
Later life topics of all kinds have been covered including Scams Awareness, advice regarding Avoiding Falls and Hospitalisation, the importance of Staying Nourished, demystifying the vital topic of Choosing the Right Care and of course, Dementia Awareness.
With a considerably older than average population, and in fact, with one of the highest rates of dementia diagnosis in England*, all of these subjects are very relevant to our region of East Devon. If we are to succeed in meeting the needs of our own family members, of clients and the wider community, by creating safer environments, we have long known that it will take a collective effort.
The 2023 free Community Talks season saw us engage with a wide variety of audiences, including assisted living facilities, residential homes, community organisations, voluntary groups, healthcare settings, support providers and importantly, businesses too. It was our most successful season yet: undoubtedly down to the dedicated efforts of our community awareness team with regard to engagement, and also due to a much appreciated and marked increase in interest from our friends, followers and counterparts in the sector.
Our team were also able to directly engage with businesses in our region, via not one but two dedicated Dementia Awareness for Business workshops, which took place in Sidmouth and Lyme Regis. These welcomed attendees from a host of areas including legal and financial sectors, the construction industry, residential care settings, leisure and hospitality organisations and many more.
With regard to dementia, creating an ‘aware’ community also benefits our own clients and Care Professionals, widening the options for interesting, welcoming and safe places for them to visit, together. Our ‘Out Instead’ project is proof of this, and includes a variety of accessible local organisations. In many cases, team members also became ‘dementia aware’ as part of the project.
The year also saw the return of one of our popular annual community events, albeit with a new identity! The Home Instead Ageing-Well Information Day took place in Budleigh Salterton, in late October 2023, hosted over 30 local (and national), support, advisory and leisure service providers and welcomed in excess of 300 visitors! It was a resounding success for our team, and one that is set to be repeated in 2024…
Looking forward, we have already confirmed a number of events across the community for 2024 and beyond, and are pleased to be engaging with a host of new contacts, including our local Library services, additional community groups and in educational settings too. We consistently develop our workshops to include sector updates and scientific research, along with elements from our own continued training experiences, such as the unique and immersive, Dementia Bus experience.
If you would like to organise a free Community Workshop for your own group, organisation or business, don’t hesitate. Talks last between 60-90 minutes and can be adapted with regard to length and topic, to suit the audience.
Contact our Community Engagement Team on 01395 200600, email enquiries.eastdevon@homeinsteadexeter or follow us on Facebook for updates and to find out more, HERE.