We showed our support for Dementia Awareness Week by hosting a nostalgic event at one of their supported housing developments in Stockton.

North Star provides affordable housing across the Tees Valley and Country Durham, with a range of dedicated supported housing services. The housing association really works to help make a difference to our local communities, from providing housing for people experiencing homelessness, to women fleeing violence, older people with support needs, people with learning disabilities and young people leaving care.

Hundreds of thousands of families are touched by dementia every year and many people often feel vulnerable and in need of reassurance and support. North Star’s event, at their supported housing scheme for older people at Aspen Gardens, gave residents the opportunity to engage with activities designed to stimulate their memories.

North Star supported the Alzheimer’s Society with their Dementia Awareness Week campaign by giving local residents an opportunity to relive their past. Residents got the chance to experience a range of nostalgic memorabilia, music performances, and museum artefacts.

Allison Alderton, Team Manager of Older Persons Services at North Star, said “We have many residents dealing with dementia and we know it can seem a scary thing to face. This is why we hold as many activities as we can to offer reassurance, support and provide experiences that really help them retain their sense of identity.

“We had a range of nostalgic memorabilia, some provided by the residents themselves and we even had a range of artefacts from a local museum. Not only did residents get the chance to look at all of the old artefacts they had the opportunity to really experience them with smells, tastes, songs and photos from the past designed to help stimulate their memories.

“It was incredibly moving and inspiring to see the difference that interacting with elements of their past had and we were honoured to be able to experience this with them.”