YATE is hoping to become a dementia friendly town and is asking residents and shopkeepers for their ideas.

The town council is pushing the idea of making shops, public places and facilities more accessible and easier to use for people suffering from the debilitating condition.

It wants to make Yate a less daunting place for people with dementia to visit.

Town councillor Chris Willmore said: “We want to hear people’s ideas of what we could all do to make the town a more dementia friendly place so people can be helped to live independently.

“We are looking for simple things which are really practical so for instance shopkeepers to hold cards which show the different coins and their denominations as people with dementia can easily forget that kind of thing.

“We know people with dementia often leave Yate Shopping Centre from a different end they entered it. Things can easily look the same so it has been suggested we colour code the exits.”

Added Cllr Willmore: “Really simply things like that could help to reduce people’s confusion and actually could help a lot of people not just those with dementia.

“You don’t have to be a medical specialist or from a professional body, we are looking for ordinary residents who may have some good ideas. Most of us these days have helped friends or relatives with dementia so we know what will help them.

“We want to hear of practical things some of which we may be able to do really quickly and which may not cost much money.”

Yate Town Council’s dementia friendly town launch meeting will take place on Monday, September 29 (2-4pm) in the parish hall on Station Road. For further information email info@yatetowncouncil.gov.uk or call 01454 866506.