Perth locals living with dementia will once again be able to receive valuable support at a Dementia Café from next month.
The popular set-up was forced to go on hiatus in March last year when Covid restrictions came into force.
Organised by Perth & Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), it will run from September 1 following the 18-month absence.
The café offers support to people with dementia, as well as their families and caregivers.
A range of health and social care professionals will be on hand to provide advice, emotional support and social interaction.
It will also allow people living with the condition and their carers to offer peer support and share their own lived experiences.
Before the pandemic struck, around 40 to 50 people would attend each month to spend time with others in similar circumstances to their own.
What can you expect from it?
The Dementia Café aims to provide information attendees may need while allowing people to meet and interact with each other in a social setting.
HSCP community care assistant Nikki Goodwillie said: “It is support for people so they know they are not on their own.
“A lot of the people who come look forward to it and support each other. And it is quite informal.
“It’s there to give people information and point them in the right direction.”
Social care officer Aileen Craigie added: “People can feel comfortable with the café with the others, and they can share their experiences.
“There are also information sheets people can take with them.”
What is dementia?
Dementia is a condition that occurs with an ongoing decline of brain functioning.
It can also cause difficulty concentrating and a person with dementia may struggle to follow conversations.
Anyone concerned about showing signs of dementia is encouraged to contact their GP.
The first Dementia Café will be held on September 1 from 10am until 2.30pm at the North Church Hall in Perth.
It will run on the first Wednesday of every month thereafter.