The Rhayader area has been chosen as the first community in Powys to help shape the future of dementia care.

The new, innovative, ‘Rhayader Community Listening Campaign’ aims to bring the regional dementia groups together with local residents. They will share stories about the community and what is important to help to shape how local people with dementia are cared for.

Putting local people at the centre of the discussion around dementia care, along with support from Improvement Cymru and Citizens UK, the Rhayader Community Listening Campaign aims for local people to co-produce a plan for how support should be tailored for residents of the Rhayader and surrounding areas community, to ensure people with dementia have the best possible experience of living in their own home and participating in community life.

From local councillors, community volunteers and activity group leaders to shop owners and third sector representatives, community leaders will take a leading role in getting the conversation started across the Rhayader area.

Through talking and listening to people throughout the Rhayader area, they will collect stories about what it’s like to live in the area and the current dementia support, to establish a vision for the future representing the whole community’s view.

Deborah Gerrard, Chief Officer of Dementia Matters in Powys, said: “Dementia is something that effects 1 in 3 of us, it is currently the UK’s number one killer and rates are rising - we all have a stake in making sure that people with dementia can access the best possible care and live well with dementia.

“The Rhayader Community Listening Campaign is a great opportunity for local people to contribute to improving the lives of people with dementia, their carers, family and friends.   We need people from across the community to get involved and to help move this campaign, the first in Powys, forward.”

Residents of Rhayader and surrounding areas can get involved by becoming Active Listening Volunteers and by completing a short questionnaire, the results of which will be fed back to Improvement Cymru.  Questionnaires can be accessed online at: https://online1.snapsurveys.com/o1ibx1 

Collection boxes will be placed in 3 locations in Rhayader town for those who wish to complete and return hard copies. 

Colleagues from Powys teaching Health Board, Powys County Council and voluntary sector organisations will be present in the Rhayader area from early December and will support to complete the questionnaires.

Dementia Matters in Powys will also be located in The Arches through February and March to be on hand for any queries.

The Rhayader Community Listening Campaign is part of a wider Wales Listens project being supported by Improvement Cymru and Citizens UK.

The organisations will collect the stories and findings of the regional listening campaigns taking place throughout Wales, giving a detailed picture of the varying communities across Wales and the disparate needs of people living with dementia within them.

Michaela Morris, Service Improvement Manager for Mental Health at Improvement Cymru, said: “We know that the best dementia care is personalised to the individual needs of a person living with dementia. We want to take that principle and tailor dementia care to the communities that they are embedded into.

“Nobody knows what the Rhayader area needs better than its residents, so we want the community to play a central role in developing the blueprint for local dementia care and support moving forward.”

To find out more about the Rhayader Community Listening Campaign or to register your interest in leading the conversation about dementia care for the Rhayader area please contact Deborah Gerrard, Dementia Matters in Powys at [email protected] or on 07947 647790.