A charity which supports veterans and their partners living with dementia is sharing its expertise with the wider Armed Forces community.

Royal Star & Garter is hosting a Living Well with Dementia Workshop in Molesey, Surrey on 24 June so that more veterans and their partners living with the condition can benefit from its knowledge.

The 90-minute workshop will be held at the Refresh Centre in Molesey High Street and begin at 6.30pm. It will be delivered by Yasmin Rogers, Deputy Home Manager at Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton. Those wishing to attend the free event can register in advance.

The charity provides loving, compassionate care to veterans and their families living with disability or dementia, from Homes in Solihull, Surbiton, High Wycombe and Worthing. It also runs services reaching out into the community including Day Care, Lunch Club and a national Telephone Friendship Service.

Royal Star & Garter focuses on person-centred support, offering care with empathy and understanding, while also supporting relatives who may struggle to accept the changes in their loved one on their dementia journey. It includes the use of tools and technology in its specialist dementia care.

The Living Well with Dementia Workshop is interactive and will provide clear, practical guidance on:

• Understanding what dementia is and how it affects people differently.
• Supporting physical wellbeing through activity and movement.
• Keeping the brain stimulated through meaningful activities.
• Supporting people living with advanced dementia using sensory approaches.
• Helping people with dementia maintain independence, dignity, and purpose.
• How carers can look after themselves and find support.

Those attending will better understand dementia and learn practical ways to help people live well at every stage of the journey. It will include real-life examples, practical tips, and time for discussion, making it relevant whether those attending are supporting someone at home, in the community, or in a care setting. It will also signpost to various support services, among them those that support members of the Armed Forces family.

The workshop is open to anyone who knows, cares for or is involved in the life of a veteran living with dementia or their partner. This includes family members and friends, informal and unpaid carers, community groups and volunteers.

‘We help residents live well with dementia’

Yasmin Rogers said: “Being diagnosed with dementia doesn’t mean an end to a meaningful and happy life. In our Royal Star & Garter Homes we help residents live well with dementia. But there are many veterans living with dementia who aren’t in our Homes and we want to share our knowledge and understanding so that they can still live their lives to the full.”

Those wishing to attend the Living well with Dementia Workshop can book their FREE tickets on https://starandgarter.org/dementia-workshop.

Royal Star & Garter in Surbiton is welcoming new residents. For more information on this, its other services or to work at the Home, go to www.starandgarter.org/surbiton