The Alzheimer’s Society initiative, Dementia Friends, will rollout in shops and banks across the UK and will help staff learn about the illness and the steps they can take to make a difference to the lives of people affected by it.

The initiative was backed by health secretary Jeremy Hunt who pledged to support the creation of over 121,500 Dementia Friends in Britain.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Many people with dementia tell us that shopping and visiting their local high street can be very stressful but today’s announcement brings us a step closer to becoming a dementia friendly society. We applaud Argos, Homebase, Marks and Spencer and Lloyds Banking Group on their commitment to help their staff understand more about dementia.

“Dementia Friends will enable people with dementia to feel more independent when they go out. Sometimes this can mean the difference between staying in the community or being forced to move to a care home prematurely.”

The Alzheimer’s Society is now calling on other businesses to work on becoming more dementia friendly by offering training sessions to their staff.

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