“HEAR OUR VOICE” TOOLKIT
Hearing the Voice of Citizens with Dementia in Communities: A Toolkit for Local Government and Service Providers
Introduction
Wicklow Dementia Support is also a member of local government decision-making forum including Co Wicklow Public Participatory Network (PPN) and Co Wicklow Dementia Working Group. Co Wicklow Dementia Working Group includes representatives from HSE Older Persons’ Services, Public Health Nursing, Old Age Psychiatry, Age Friendly Wicklow County Council, Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Carer’s Association and Wicklow Partnership. This toolkit arose out of the need for people with dementia and family carers to have their voice heard at these for a to ensure local services such as housing, transport, health and social care supports enable people with dementia to live independently and stay included in their communities.
Purpose of the Toolkit
This toolkit is to assist local government and public bodies to support people with dementia and their carers to have their say where it matters at local government and in the development of local health and social care services. Ireland’s ratification of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD) means that public bodies must promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights of people with disabilities including those with dementia.
The toolkit includes:
- Information on dementia and the barriers to engagement
- Outline of engagement processes to support people with dementia and carers to have a voice
- Learning from the methods used by the ‘Our Voice’ project
- Key elements to support the engagement of people with dementia and family carers
- Resources to enhance accessibility