A project aiming to make the Kiama municipality more inclusive for people living with dementia has won a national award.
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The project took out the National Award for Local Government in the Disability Access and Inclusion category.
Kiama council’s Kiama Dementia Friendly Project will now compete against other category winners for the overall 2016 National Award for Excellence in Local Government, to be announced on June 21.
The project commenced in 2014 when Kiama council was approached by Alzheimer’s Australia and the University of Wollongong to take part in a pilot that would see Kiama work towards being one of Australia’s first Dementia Friendly Communities.
The project is structured around two main groups. The first is the Dementia Friendly Alliance, a coalition of representatives including local community organisations, people with dementia, representatives from UOW, Alzheimer’s Australia and Kiama council.
The other is the Dementia Advisory Group, which comprises people with dementia and their carers and supporters.
Council’s community and cultural development manager Nick Guggisberg said the project had been cited internationally at conferences on dementia.