AUSTRALIAN DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY|關懷失智症患者 澳洲打造友善社區

A small community in Australia is trying to become more inclusive for people with dementia. An award-winning project in the town of Kiama is bringing together dementia patients and other locals to raise awareness and find ways to make the town more dementia-friendly. Council worker Darren Brennan sets off on another journey in Kiama, just south of Sydney. He was out on the road in the early hours of the morning this winter when he spotted an older man, cold and clearly disoriented. Brennan realised the man was likely suffering from dementia - and he knew the best way of getting help. ==DARREN BRENNAN, Council worker== Well I knew not to approach him and scare him. I did have a nan who had dementia. So I sort of had a good understanding of it. This is the kind of understanding now being promoted on a large scale here in Kiama, New South Wales. The coastal town has become a popular retirement area, attracting a big community of older people. The Dementia Friendly Kiama Project brings together dementia patients and other locals to raise awareness of sufferers' needs. The project is training locals to be "Dementia Friends", teaching them about what dementia is and how it affects people's lives. ==PROF. RICHARD FLEMING, Psychologist, University of Wollongong== What we're seeing here is one of Australia's first efforts in developing a truly dementia friendly community. This includes assisting companies and the local council to modify spaces to make them more accommodating. Simple signs help explain where to go and what is happening. Robyn Fairbairn frequently finds herself getting disorientated and often can't remember how to unlock doors in public toilets. Her husband and carer Graham says a simple sign explaining how the lock works can make all the difference. ==GRAHAM FAIRBAIRN, Robyn's husband== I think it's a great sign because it actually gives you instructions in simple words about how to be secure. You can lock the door but you're not going to get locked in because it tells you how to get out when you need to get out. Those behind the project say there's one thing that really sets it apart. ==NICK GUGGISBERG, Manager, Community and Cultural Devt., Kiama Council== The main difference has been to have people with dementia really actively at the heart of the project identifying what are the issues, what would make a difference to their lives. Earlier in November, the project won the Excellence in Community Partnerships Award at Australia's National Disability Awards. TRANSLATED BY：JESSICA OY