Dementia awareness evening to take place in Carrick-on-Shannon
The dementia awareness evening will take place on October 1st, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Landmark Hotel. Picture: iStock
A local working group of community members and local agency representatives are working with the HSE and Breffni Family Resource Centre to help Carrick–on–Shannon to be inclusive of people living with Dementia. As part of this work, they are inviting individuals, businesses, services, community groups and clubs to join them to learn more about dementia and the practical steps we can all take to help build a more inclusive community for people with dementia and their families.
The dementia awareness evening will take place on October 1st, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Landmark Hotel. The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.
The awareness evening will be facilitated by a community member of the Working Group with guest speakers highlighting the importance of dementia-inclusive communities and addressing the topic of dementia and brain health. These speakers include Dr. Catherine Dolan, Psychiatry of Old Age, Memory Assessment & Support Service, Sligo/Leitrim, Teresa Keegan Dementia Advisor for Sligo / Leitrim with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland. Sharon Richardson, Project Manager for the Implementation of the Dementia Strategy, HSE, will facilitate an interview with Laura Dunlop, who is living with dementia.
More than 64,000 people are living with dementia in Ireland and this figure is increasing meaning more and more of us will be affected, or know someone who has been affected by dementia in our lifetime. The majority of people with dementia live in the community. There are lots of organisations and services in Leitrim which are already inclusive; however, there is huge potential to build on this. This awareness evening will provide very practical advice on actions we can all take to consider people with dementia in our communities. Whether it’s a friend, neighbour, customer or group member we can all play a part in supporting people with dementia to continue to partake in community life as independently as possible.
Maria Farry, Community Member of Working Group stated, "My family is one of many families living in Carrick-on-Shannon who have been impacted by Dementia. We as a community can do a lot to ensure our services and businesses are inclusive for those living with dementia, this alone can have a significant positive impact on the individual and their families."
