News
How to help a stranger who appears confused?
With the NHS reporting that over 850,000 people in the UK have dementia, knowing how to help a stranger who appears confused is unbelievably important.
Just like the rest of us, people with dementia often enjoy a stroll.
It might be because they are bored, wanting to use up extra energy. Or because they are seeking familiarity, wanting to visit a special place. It might even be to help relieve pain or anxiety.
All innocent reasons. You might go on a walk for the same reason.
However, people with dementia have trouble with their memories and can struggle to recognise familiar places. Although walking about isn’t necessarily an issue by its nature, it’s possible individuals could become disorientated.
If you bump into a stranger who appears confused, this could be why.
So what can you do to help?
The police are prepared to properly assist vulnerable people, all you need to do is contact them. Until they arrive, if possible, remaining with the individual is a huge help.
As part of their dedicated efforts to support people living with dementia, Alzheimer’s Society has outlined 5 points to consider when approaching a stranger who appears confused:
“1. Get close enough that you’re able to hear each other and make eye contact, but not so close that you’re in their personal space or are making them feel uncomfortable.
“2. Make sure your body language is relaxed and open.
“3. Speak calmly and slowly. Take your time to explain and listen to their answers.
“4. Use short, simple sentences and avoid complicated questions. Use simple language and ask one question at a time.
“5. If the person doesn’t understand what you’re saying, rephrase rather than repeat the sentence. Using non-verbal communication – like pointing in a certain direction – can help make things clearer and easier to understand.”
Reassurance can also go a long way. You’ll know yourself if you’ve ever felt lost or confused, comforting words can make you feel significantly more at ease. Let the individual know you are there to help, possibly waiting with them in a public place such as a café.
Northumbria Police shared a social experiment in 2019, where they hired an undercover actor to pretend to have early onset dementia and ask for help. Approaching the public in Newcastle City Centre as a stranger who appears confused, the actor pretended he had lost his daughter and didn’t know his whereabouts.
The video is a tribute to the kind-hearted community that exists in the North East town, as many stopped to help and take the man over to a nearby policeman for further assistance.
In the video, Northumbria Police send the message: “Vulnerability isn’t always visible. If something doesn’t seem right tell us.”
However, there are also unfortunately people who ignore him, most likely because of the stigma around dementia.
The lack of understanding about the disease can make people avoid situations with those with dementia. Raising awareness of the reasons that people with dementia may be walking about can help reduce this negative association.
Teaching people the best way to help a stranger who appears confused will also encourage people to do so.
It could help change ‘many stopped’ to ‘all stopped.’
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Newcastle Charity single released – Howay Howay Howay – Raising money for Homeless Christmas Meal
A geordie cover of the infamous ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ football song to raise money for the the Newcastle Foodbanks ahead of Christmas. You can donate to the Warm Newcastle Christmas Meal appeal here – https://neoffers.co.uk/products/changing-lives-christmas-meal-appeal-north-east
Every penny made from this video will go towards the charity so please feel free to share. If you want to help but not in a position to donate you can share the campaign here – https://www.facebook.com/NorthEastUpdates/posts/pfbid0g95t41cjTkjmSe3TCmXEKsYT6WPdsknEwUqTJpumkkzkLGAAhLfjEaoy6bmrca1Gl
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We are supporting the Warm Christmas meal appeal – you can donate a warm Christmas meal to someone in need in Newcastle and the North East below..
Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk
Please also consider donating to the Newcastle West end food bank – https://newcastlewestend.foodbank.org.uk/ Credit: The Geordie Chanter Song title is ‘Howay, Howay, Howay’ https://newcastlewestend.enthuse.com/pf/hhh
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Footage tonight has emerged of PSG fans corning Newcastle United fans in a pub and attacking them in a scary video. This follows news that police had informed Newcastle fans that attacks were possible which lead to at least one pub having to close at 10pm due to this.
We don’t have any details on what happened after the video and this is a breaking news story, follow us on social media to stay fully up to date.
You can see the video here:
YouTube – North East Updates (follow channel for more – won’t open video unless you have an account and over 18) – https://youtube.com/shorts/Uo_2G1WEuWg
X (formally Twitter) https://x.com/SupportersNufc/status/1729269902056493085?s=20
Newcastle United fans attacked in Paris by PSG fans – Watch video
Newcastle fans who would you like to see be brought in or who is most realistic – follow for all Newcastle United news – Newcastle Supporters Worldwide
There will be videos added tomorrow both before and after the PGS game on the North East Updates Youtube channel – follow the channel to stay fully up to date and see below for previous NUFC vs PSG videos…
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PSG Fans arrive at Newcastle Upon Tyne and are met by Newcastle United fans ahead of their Champions League tie (which ended in a 4-1 Newcastle United win). Newcastle Centre was on shut down with streets closed and everyone watching.
The footage is not live and IN FULL on our Youtube Channel you can see the footage below – let us know on the comments on the video what your thoughts are on it….
We rather foolishly spoke to both NUFC and PSG fans after the game – we had to stop filming the interviewing of the PSG fans due to safety concerns see both videos below…
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We are supporting the Warm Christmas meal appeal – you can donate a warm Christmas meal to someone in need in Newcastle and the North East below..
Warm Christmas Meal Appeal North East – Help a Local Person in Need – NEoffers.co.uk
While many are familiar with the swift file-sharing capability of Airdrop, Apple has introduced a new addition called ‘NameDrop’ in its latest iteration. Functioning similarly to Airdrop, this feature facilitates the rapid exchange of contact information among users, aiming to streamline the process of sharing phone numbers without manual input.
However, authorities have flagged serious safety risks associated with this new addition. They caution that this feature might make personal information incredibly accessible, raising potential security vulnerabilities.
Sharing your contact details does involve a confirmation step. Yet, there’s a risk of inadvertently sharing your information with strangers if you’re uncertain about the pop-up or its purpose. Moreover, providing a guaranteed and accurate contact could pose risks down the line.
For instance, a scenario could unfold where someone, wishing to avoid unwanted attention, offers a fake number. Unfortunately, if that falsified contact information is scanned, it wouldn’t serve its intended purpose.
Police have issued a warning regarding the default activation of ‘NameDrop’ in the new Apple update. They emphasized that with this feature enabled, anyone can swiftly acquire contact information including pictures, phone numbers, email addresses, and more by simply placing their phone near yours or your child’s unlocked screen.
The police provided instructions on how to deactivate this feature, advising users to navigate to General – AirDrop – and disable ‘Bringing Devices Together.’ Additionally, they recommended setting ‘contacts only’ in the Airdrop settings to avoid receiving unsolicited images from strangers.
However, some individuals countered the police advisory, suggesting it might be overly alarmist. One individual stated that it wasn’t a safety issue as both parties needed to acknowledge the exchange. Another pointed out the need for awareness about disabling the feature, even with consent to the exchange.
They highlighted the importance of being informed about managing these settings: “Done. Thank you for this PSA! Approval or NOT, thank you for sharing this information. Always helpful to know more than less!”
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