A COUPLE from Surrey have praised an educational project in the county that focuses on dementia.

Rob and Pippa Stanley are one of the couples taking part in the Time for Dementia programme.

And now Alzheimer’s Society needs a further 100 people with dementia and their carers to join the 150 couples already signed up to the project.

They will partner with a pair of students from the University of Surrey who will visit them regularly over a two-year period as a core part of their training.

The students will be nurses, mental health students and paramedics.

Rob said he and wife Pippa enjoy taking part in the project. “We like being there to support the students and to emphasise our view. especially Pip who is encouraged to voice her feelings with confidence. We feel we are able to promote greater awareness of dementia and a sharply focused understanding.”

People with dementia and their carers who sign up to the project will be visited for a maximum of two hours, three times a year. Although the programme will run for two years, participants will be reviewed on a visit-by-visit basis and can opt out at any time.

Sophie Mackrell is leading the project. She said: “Too often dementia is not seen as a priority, but with an ageing population an estimated one million people will be living with dementia by 2025.

“The hope is that this project will affect the way future medical professionals view and respond to dementia and will lead to a greater understanding of the condition in the future.”

If you have dementia or are caring for someone with dementia and would like to get involved call Sophie on 07713779582 or email Sophie.Mackrell@alzheimers.

org.uk