We are proud to be Dementia Friends
Horizon Building contractors are proud to announce that our core team have all become Dementia Friends. Dementia Friends is an Alzheimers Society Initiative. The Dementia Friends programme is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. It aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition.
What is a Dementia Friend?
A Dementia Friend learns about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action – anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend.
-Alzheimers Society
How important is being Dementia Friendly for the construction industry?
Within the construction industry, there are multiple opportunities to be Dementia Friendly whether in the actual way that we work or the design decisions that are made. We believe that taking action when these opportunities arise will help people who are living with Dementia.
Some examples of how we turn our knowledge into action:
- Knowing which textures and colour combinations can cause visual disorientation
- Understanding how things like lighting and signage can help to prevent confusion or distress
- We can better anticipate situations and risk assess more effectively
- When necessary, our teams can interact appropriately in a way that will be beneficial and cause minimal distress
- Extra knowledge about Dementia allows us to feel more confident when we are interacting with residents, that we are doing this in the correct way with all due respect
Horizon Building Contractors specialise in renovations. refurbishments and new builds of Care Homes (or Nursing Homes). Care and Nursing Homes offer 24hour support and healthcare for their residents. Due to the constant duty of care required by our care sector clients, our building and construction teams are often working in ‘live’ environments. This means that we are conducting our work around the daily lives and routines of care home residents and staff.
To start this journey we sought out advice from The Alzheimers Society who recommended the Dementia Friends Programme. We have since signed up to the Dementia Friendly Housing Charter to ensure that we are operating in a way that benefits, not only our clients but also the end users of our client’s services – at all times. This extra level of understanding is one part of how we ensure that Horizon’s team consistently work with the utmost care and consideration in care home environments.
Statistics from The Alzheimers Association



To read more about becoming a Dementia Friend click here
If you have a project that you would like a no-obligation consultation for, please contact us today.