Kindred Spirit member Karen wins two awards!

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Services nominated Karen West, member of Kindred Spirits, for the Kent Volunteering Awards. Karen has young onset dementia which means that she has been diagnosed with dementia and is under the age of 65 years. Even with her diagnosis Karen has become a fantastic ambassador for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services, supporting others to live well with their dementia. Karen is brilliant at offering active support to a number of our community groups and is also a founder member of Kindred Spirits. She offers support, information and compassion to others and helps new members feel at ease within the groups. She is happy to speak of her personal experiences with dementia and regularly speaks at staff and volunteer inductions giving attendees an insight to ‘how she lives with her dementia’ giving a greater understanding of living with dementia. Karen also joins in with outside events and is a role model for people as to how to live well with dementia. She is inspiring and is such a positive example to those that we support who find themselves on their own journey with dementia. Karen speaks from her own experience and never shy’s away from telling her life as it is. New group members find her honesty comforting and by seeing how positively she copes on a day to day basis offers confidence to them. She shares her coping strategies and gives confidence to others to try new activities which reduces isolation. We were thrilled for Karen’s compassion, support and impact on people with dementia to be acknowledged by being presented with not one, but two awards! She was recognised with others as a Top Health and Caring Volunteer for Dartford and Gravesham and then was awarded the Overall Health and Caring Volunteer for Kent. This was a great opportunity to promote how involving people living with dementia can make a positive difference to everyone.