‘We dance, we shake hands, we can start engaging with the other people around us. We become conscious of where people fit into our lives.’

This is the impact of a unique event, in the words of Richard Bones, a 65-year-old who was diagnosed with the brain condition five years ago. Called Dementia Disco , it creates a safe space and community not just for those living with the disease, but for loved ones too.

The idea came about in 2019, after Kate Derby’s dad, Brian, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at just 66 years old. Talking to Metro from her home in Stockport , she recalls: ‘He just seemed so much younger than all the other people we were coming across in the support groups in our area.

‘They were singing war songs around the piano, playing dominoes, doing crafts, and my dad w

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