DEMENTIA sufferers and their families from across East Lancashire have attended an awareness event.

The session at Burnley’s Turf Moor gave visitors the opportunity to take a Virtual Dementia Tour, which allowed them to experience what it is like for those living with the condition and how it impacts on their daily lives.

Representatives of Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Groups, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lancashire Care Foundation Trust and other organisations were also at the event to give information and ask for people’s views on services to support those with dementia and their families.

Peter Anwyl, who gave a presentation about his experiences of caring for his wife after she was diagnosed with dementia, said: “This event has been crucial to dispel all the myths and hard truths about dementia.

“There is a whole range of highly professional people in our communities whose whole objective it is to make life easier for the carers and the people cared for.”

Debbie Nixon, chief operating officer at NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG, said: “This was a fantastic event which allowed many organisations from across the area to come together.”