First meeting of Dementia Carers Campaign Network to take place in Limerick

Southern DCCN group

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) has launched the regional group of its carer advocacy network, the Dementia Carers Campaign Network (DCCN), in Munster with the first meeting taking place in Limerick city.

The DCCN, which was set up in 2013, is a national campaigning group and is made up of people who have experience of caring for a loved one with dementia.

It aims to be a voice of and for dementia carers in Ireland and to raise awareness of issues affecting families living with dementia. The group is supported and facilitated by the ASI.

Ann Twomey

The first meeting of the Southern DCCN took place at the Clayton Hotel in Limerick city on Friday, March 23rd and was attended by current and new members of the DCCN. This group is open to anyone who is interested in advocacy and has experience caring for a friend or family member with dementia.

Since the DCCN’s inception, members of the network have been involved in monitoring the implementation of Ireland’s first National Dementia Strategy (NDS); taken part in awareness-raising activities, including national and local media work; contributed to research programmes; and spoken at conferences and events across Ireland.

There are 500,000 people across Ireland whose families have been affected by dementia. In order to adequately reflect the experiences of dementia carers in Munster, the ASI has established the Southern DCCN which will focus on highlighting the issues affecting dementia carers in the region.
For more information on the DCCN, please contact advocacy@alzheimer.ie

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In total, an estimated 14,000 people in Munster have dementia.

“Since working with the Dementia Carers Campaign Network (DCCN) I have used my own experiences as a carer for my late husband to the benefit of other carers – by raising awareness of issues facing families caring for a loved one with dementia and by lobbying for policy change. Being a part of the Dementia Carers Campaign Network gives you a voice that may otherwise have gone unheard.” DCCN committee member from Cork, Ann Twomey concluded.

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