WATCH Limerick Dementia Social Club creates a welcoming environment for people with dementia and their families

Limerick Dementia Social Club creates a welcoming environment for people with dementia and their families. The FTD Brothers came to Arthurs Quay Park Limerick on Saturday, May 16 as part of 33 marathons in 33 days. Limerick Dementia Social club came to meet the brothers and cheer them on. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Limerick Dementia Social Club welcomes people with dementia and their family carers for a “bit of craic, singing, and dancing” on the third Wednesday of every month

Limerick Dementia Social Club has been providing a welcoming space for people living with dementia and their family carers, bringing a “bit of craic, singing, and dancing” at Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre.

The group meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm and is open to anybody who wants to show their support to the community.

Mags O’Sullivan, Limerick Dementia Social Club, told I Love Limerick, “The club is set up for anyone who has a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer’s, any cognitive impairment; they’re very, very welcome.”

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Mags explained how the club is free to those who wish to attend, and joining is simple: “There’s no cost; the person can just arrive on the first or the third Wednesday of any month at 6:30 pm. There’s a welcome for everybody. We have a bit of craic, a bit of singing, a bit of dancing. Anyone is welcome at Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre on Childers Road, Rossbrien.”

The club are hoping to see their club grow and become an even more “special place”, with Mags saying, “We’d love to see as many people as possible join us to make this club special for the people in Limerick who have dementia and their family carers!”

Speaking at the FTD Brothers marathon even in Limerick, the group noted, “There isn’t a person I’ve met ever that hasn’t had somebody in their family or a friend or a contact that has dementia. Dementia is just an umbrella term, Alzheimer’s, and frontal temporal dementia. I’d love to see councillors and other people getting behind us today!”

Showing their support for the FTD Brothers’ mission, Mags said, “They’re absolutely amazing and so inspirational. Two young, unassuming men, and they made so much time to speak to people individually, people with dementia, family members with any queries. They’re so inspirational!

“And to follow their story on Instagram and their social media, how they minded their mother and what potentially lies ahead for them, they’re just amazing. I think everyone should get behind them and support the Alzheimer’s Ireland fundraiser that they’re doing, if they haven’t done to date!”

Speaking about the support of their own club, Limerick Dementia Social Club rely on fundraising run through their group, asking people to contact them in Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre if people would like to make a donation, with Mags saying that “if people want to donate, we’ll never say no”.

Mags added, “But that said, you know, it’s an open, free service for everybody. We do the fundraising to enable anybody to be able to benefit from the facilities and the services that we provide.”

The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month at Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre, no referral is necessary and people can attend on any club night as they wish, the club invited people to “Join us for a chat, cuppa and fun activity”.

Contact [email protected] for more info