In June and July, the city's senior citizens' counselling service invites you to lectures and also offers an interesting "active" exhibition on the topic of dementia. Dementia is a disease that impairs memory and cognitive abilities and can affect older people in particular. However, despite the changes, the person behind the disease remains unique and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. The motto of this year's World Alzheimer's Day is "Dementia - be and stay human". It encourages people to face the challenges together as a family, with friends and as a society. It is not easy to see people as individuals and not just define them by their illness. Sick people need care and support, which can be emotionally and physically challenging for family carers. Verbal communication with each other in particular can become more difficult, but empathy and simple gestures such as smiling or touching can also establish contact. A society that understands people with dementia and does not isolate them is necessary. Raising awareness and education can break down prejudices and create a respectful environment. This is where the city wants to start with its programme. The programme kicks off with a lecture entitled "Precautions for all eventualities: How to avoid conflicts and make provisions in good time" on 26 June. Notary Roland Bergfeld and business mediator Gerhart Flothow, Hans and Ilse Breuer Foundation, will address the topics of living wills, health care proxies and wills and why it is so important to draw up these documents at an early stage. They not only outline the steps required to draw up the documents, but also explain the most common conflicts and problems that can arise if such precautionary arrangements are not made in good time. This presentation is particularly aimed at people with dementia and their relatives who have special challenges when it comes to advance care planning. The lecture provides a clear overview of the entire process from the initial idea to the final notarisation. The lecture will take place from 6 to 8 pm in the city council meeting room of the town hall, Hintergasse 15. Attendance is free of charge and registration is not required. In addition to this first lecture, there will be a dementia course from 8 July to 10 July and two further lectures on 15 and 17 July. These will focus on different aspects of personal experience, communication and dealing with people suffering from dementia.
