Amphlett Lissimore are pleased to announce we are taking our first steps to becoming a dementia friendly law firm.
Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition. Here at Amphlett Lissimore, we are encouraging all of our staff to become Dementia Friends in order to learn more about Dementia and the small ways in which we can help.
Dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. Symptoms may also include changes to their mood or behaviour. These changes are often small to start with, but for someone living with dementia they have become severe enough to affect daily life. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, but not the only one.
Why do we want to become a dementia friendly law firm?
“There are currently around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia, and as a firm we want to ensure that anyone living with the condition feels confident coming into our offices and trusts that our lawyers understand not only what they are going through, but also how they can best advise them for the future” says Toni Wensley, Client Care and Operations Manager at Amphlett Lissimore.
Our Wills and Probate and Client Care teams were the first to become Dementia Friends after attending an Information Session at our offices. In the session, run by a volunteer Dementia Friend champion, the teams learnt more about dementia and how they can use their new knowledge in interactions with clients and in cases where dementia may be an issue. Amphlett Lissimore have taken these steps as we feel it’s important to our clients to have a greater understanding of the symptoms and how we can help people live well with Dementia.
Akilah McEwen, a Solicitor in our Wills & Probate team says; “We have clients who are either living with Dementia or are caring for someone with it so it is hugely important for us as their lawyers to be able to support them with legal advice that can help them to continue to live well. By learning more about Dementia, I now feel better equipped to advise clients with a dementia diagnosis.”
What’s the next step to becoming a dementia friendly law firm?
As part of Dementia Action Week and as one of our steps to becoming a dementia friendly law firm, we now offer access to the Dementia Friends online learning platform across our six offices, so all of our staff now have access to a range of videos and other materials to help raise awareness on how we can help people with dementia live well and feel comfortable using our services.
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If you would like to discuss setting up a lasting power of attorney or a Will with a Dementia Friend at Amphlett Lissimore, please contact us at 020 8771 5254 to arrange a free initial assessment of your legal matter.