A Tyneside MP has shown she is dementia-friendly by taking steps to understand what it is like to live with the disease.

Newcastle North MP Catherine McKinnell and members of her constituency team are now officially Dementia Friends after attending a special awareness session run by Alzheimer’s Society staff.

The Labour MP teamed up with the charity to host the Dementia Friends session in a bid to do her bit to help people with dementia and their carers live well within their own community.

It followed a hectic few days for the Newcastle-born former Sacred Heart Comprehensive School pupil who has been immersed in Budget-related work thanks to her role as Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

‘I wanted my staff and I to be equipped to help and understand local people with dementia and their carers, both in the course of their working day and their personal lives,’ Catherine said.

‘I would encourage everyone to become a Dementia Friend. While as a country we must spend more on finding a cure for dementia, we can all play an important role in helping people to live well and independently with the condition for as long as possible.

‘That will help to reduce the costs of hospital and residential care – but the difference a bit more awareness and understanding can make to someone’s happiness and well-being is a reward that no amount of money can buy.’

Dementia Friends sessions give people an understanding of dementia, what it might be like to live with the disease and turn that understanding into action, which could be anything from helping someone find the right bus and using the right language to raising awareness.

The Tyneside session, which took place at the Lemington Centre where Catherine’s constituency office is based, was staged by Scotswood-based Alzheimer’s Society volunteering officer Amy Anderson who volunteers as a Dementia Friends Champion.

‘People with dementia sometimes need a helping hand to go about their daily lives and feel included in their local community

‘Dementia Friends is a great way to get an insight into what it is like to live with dementia and how people can take small actions to help people living with the disease. You do not have to be an expert in dementia to become a Dementia Friends Champion and any one of any age can become a Dementia Friend.

‘The forget-me-not is the symbol for our initiative. It is a clear message that we will not let people living with dementia struggle on alone. One million Dementia Friends will mean that they don’t have to.’

Alzheimer’s Society is aiming to have one million Dementia Friends by 2015, to help make England more dementia friendly and improve the lives of the 670,000 people currently living with the condition.

For information on becoming a Dementia Friend or a Dementia Friends Champion call Amy Anderson at the Alzheimer’s Society regional office on 0191 274 2727.