The six hours of training will give community groups, businesspeople and the community generally the skills, information and resources to be dementia friendly.

Part 1: Dementia Awareness is from 10am-1pm, on Thursday, March 10 at Kiama Anglican Church, while Part 2:  Dementia Friends Education is on Friday, March 11 from 10am-1pm at Kiama Anglican Church.

The training will be delivered by Alzheimer’s Australia NSW. 

Kiama council Dementia Friendly Project officer Melissa Andrews said Dementia Friends will receive insight into ways to make their community group more dementia friendly and can then share that information with their community group.

Key points of the training will be education on dementia, the importance of community participation and effective communication. 

The training will also provide opportunities to hear from people living with dementia.

“We are not asking community members to be in a carer role; it is more about education and about them then going back and sharing what they have learned,’’ Ms Andrews said.  

Jamberoo Red Cross secretary Robin Lawson, whose mother has mild dementia, participated in a Dementia Friends course last November.

She said it was a valuable learning experience for anyone, even if they have no connection with dementia.

“One of the most important things I took from the training was just to remember that the person with dementia is still the same person they were before they had dementia and to not treat them any differently,’’ Ms Lawson said. 

For more information, phone Melissa Andrews on 4232 0444.

In the Kiama state electorate there is estimated to be 1450 people living with dementia, which is expected to increase to an estimated 1650 people by 2020 and 3400 by 2050.