Aiding life as ‘full citizens in society’

A GLASGOW parish church is believed to be the first faith-based organisation to formally sign up to the aims, values and principles of the Technology Charter for People Living with Dementia in Scotland. Thornliebank Parish Church, in the south west of the city, decided to take the step after becoming aware of many people in the parish who struggle with findependent living, and the lack of any Citizens’ Advice Bureau or any other advice or advocacy service nearby.

The charter commits the church to:

• Design and deliver an advocacy service using technology to enable older people (including those living with dementia) to live well, feel included, learn new skills, build on existing skills and develop life skills (including digital skills) that could enhance findependent living.

• Recruit a team of volunteers and deliver training to ensure appropriate digital skills are present within team members.

• Enable older people and those living with dementia to learn new skills through the acquisition of technology (digital technology), enable them to have a strong clear voice using technology and reduce feelings of social isolation and disconnection.

• Be conident that everyone involved in delivering care and support through the project is aware of, and up to date with the positive beneits of technology.

• Ensure that information and advice about the project and technology is clear and in everyday language.

• Participants engaged in delivering Thornliebank’s advocacy project will ensure that strict service user conidentiality is maintained at all times.

In Scotland there are currently over 90,000 people with a diagnosis of dementia, and with an ageing population this igure is set to double in a generation. Around 3,200 people diagnosed with dementia in Scotland are under the age of 65. Around 8,100 people diagnosed live in the City of Glasgow and 7,650 in Edinburgh.

The Technology Charter has been established by Alzheimer Scotland, and is founded on a set of core values and principles aimed at ensuring that people living with dementia in Scotland beneit from technology to help them live a healthy life safely, securely and conidently as full citizens in society, as a fundamental human right.

The Rev Mike Gargrave, minister of Thornliebank, said: “There are a number of people within our congregation who have experience or a background in many of the services that our parishioners use or require access to. In view of this, we have formed an Advocacy Team. In addition to general advocacy, we have recognised that many older people struggle with using technology such as smart phones, tablets and laptops and members of our advocacy team will ofer training and ongoing support to people who wish to become technology aware in an efort to improve their lifestyle and enhance findependent living.”

The advocacy project is headed by Doreen Watson, an elder with a professional background in using technology to aid findependent living, and fully supported by Alzheimer Scotland, East Renfrewshire Council, Thornliebank Medical Practice and by Sandra Shaii who is an AHP Dementia Consultant.

Joyce Gray, deputy director development for Alzheimer Scotland, said: “We are so delighted that Thornliebank Parish church has provided us with our first set of commitments from a Church or faithbased organisation, we are grateful for their thoughtful and innovative approach to using technology with their congregations and support their ambition in this work, in any way we can.” ¤

For more information on dementia, contact Alzheimer Scotland’s Freephone 24 hour helpline on 0800 808 3000, or email helpline@alzscot.org

From left: dementia consultant Sandra Shaii, Thornliebank elder Doreen Watson and minister the Rev Mike Gargrave

This article appears in the August 2018 Issue of Life and Work

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