More than 64,000 people live with dementia in Ireland, prompting HSE South West to host a free dementia awareness event at the Carrigaline Community Complex on Wednesday, September 30, from 7pm to 9pm. The gathering aims to support families, local businesses, and community groups as part of ongoing regional efforts to build dementia-inclusive communities across Cork.
Carrigaline Event Details and Community Partnerships
The upcoming evening at the Carrigaline Community Complex forms part of a broader strategy led by HSE South West in partnership with the South Cork City and County Dementia Inclusive Alliance. According to HSE South West, this local working group unites community members and agency representatives to strengthen dementia-inclusive practices across Carrigaline, Kinsale, and Bandon. Bernadette Horgan Edmead, dementia care co-ordinator with HSE South West, emphasizes that collaborative local partnerships help create environments where residents affected by the condition can remain active and understood in their own neighborhoods.
Expert Speakers and Practical Support for Families
The schedule features expert presentations from specialists within the Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons (ICPOP). Bernadette Horgan Edmead will facilitate the session, joined by guest speakers Gemma McCarthy, an advanced nurse practitioner with ICPOP, and Dr. Tim Dukelow, a consultant geriatrician with ICPOP. Dr. Dukelow notes that early awareness and practical support allow individuals to stay connected and confident, explaining that community understanding makes a profound difference in daily life.
Training Opportunities and Regional Context
Attendees will also receive information regarding follow-up dementia awareness training sessions scheduled throughout 2026, with opportunities for individuals, clubs, and local businesses to register their interest. Because most people with the condition live in the community, HSE South West highlights that dementia directly impacts families, neighbors, coworkers, and customers alike. The local alliance works alongside the national Dementia: Understand Together campaign, which unites the HSE with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Age Friendly Ireland, Age & Opportunity, the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, and Healthy Ireland to foster inclusivity nationwide.
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