Elephant Park on track to become a Dementia Friendly Community

The Dementia Friendly Communities Initiative is run by two partner organisations, The Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friends. The aim of a Dementia Friendly Community is to become a place that understands, respects and supports its citizens and visitors with dementia. It’s part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia, made in 2020, which aims to create communities across the UK which make daily living easier and more accessible to those living with dementia. 

To achieve this status, Elephant Park will implement a number of changes to both the public realm and within businesses based there. Here’s everything that’s being put in place to make Elephant Park a Dementia Friendly Community in London. 

Elephant Park have partnered with the Southwark Dementia Action Alliance for further guidance in meeting the needs of people with dementia. 

The Southwark Dementia Action Alliance is partnering with businesses and organisations around Southwark to make the borough a welcoming and supportive place for those with dementia. 

The Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia Friends are providing training for staff at Elephant Park including our onsite service teams, construction teams and staff members within businesses that are based here. 

The training itself will help all our people to understand the effects of dementia on behaviour and how to build a positive, supportive relationship with someone who has dementia. 

Our new pavilion building, The Tree House, at Elephant Park will be home to a quiet space designed specifically for those with dementia or similar conditions. 

Quiet spaces are an important provision for those with dementia as the condition itself often makes them highly sensitive to the environment around them. Dedicating areas as quiet places, both indoors and outdoors, creates safe spaces, spaces which can be used by those with dementia to take a moment if they’re feeling overwhelmed by their surroundings. 

These are just a few examples of the measures we’re implementing at Elephant Park to become a Dementia Friendly Community in London – which is just one part of our wider objective to be an inclusive place for everyone. We want all of our residents, visitors and surrounding communities to feel welcome and catered for, wherever they may be within our development. 

Receiving the appropriate certifications from verified Alzheimer’s organisations will show the dementia community that we are committed to providing for them across Elephant Park. 

Keep your eyes peeled on our blog page and social media channels for information regarding our Dementia Friendly certification.