DORSET has been encouraged to become more "dementia-friendly" at a conference held in the county.

The event, at Athelhampton House near Dorchester, took place in March to mark the formation of the Dorset Dementia Action Alliance (DAA).

Local organisations, including Dorset Police, Dorset Fire and Rescue and the Alzheimer's Society have joined forces with businesses in the county and dementia patients to form the group.

Their work seeks to improve services around dementia in the county and help those living with the condition to feel as if they are supported by the community.

DAA member organisations pledge to take action in a number of ways in order to ensure that their services are accessible and appropriate for people living with the effects of dementia.

These actions can include encouraging supermarkets to adopt "no hurry" lanes or running Dementia Friends information sessions, which help people to understand what it is like to live with dementia.

Jo Malyon, Alzheimer’s Society’s services manager for Dorset, said: "It’s vital that people living with dementia should still be able to enjoy all Dorset has to offer.

"Many people with dementia have reported feeling trapped in their own homes and let down by their communities, with one in three only getting out once a week and one in 10 only managing this once a month, which is unacceptable.

"The Dorset Dementia Action Alliance aims to address the isolation that many people living with dementia can feel and we are delighted to see so many organisations from across Dorset committing to helping people in the community live well with dementia.

"Alzheimer's Society wants to create dementia-friendly communities and the DAA is the best vehicle for doing this."

The DAA launch comes after a recent report from the Alzheimer's Society found that nearly three quarters of the British adults surveyed did not think society was ready to deal with dementia.

The same survey also found that only 47 per cent of those living with dementia felt as if they were a part of the community.

To find out more about the DAA, contact the Dorset offices of the Alzheimer's Society on 01202 764352.