Building an Age and Dementia Friendly Barnet Bus Network
Older people and people living with Dementia in Barnet should feel safe and confident to use the bus to support them to maintain their independence and community involvement. However, for many older adults, accessing and navigating public transport is not always easy. With an aim to encourage Barnet bus networks to be more Age and Dementia Friendly, we delivered formal training to bus managers and organised two Awareness Roadshow events for drivers in Barnet.
In May 2024, Public Health and Age UK Barnet organised Age and Dementia Friendly Roadshow events at Edgware Bus Garage with Bus Drivers and Managers from London Sovereign RATP group. Age-Friendly Champions, the Barnet Memory Service and Councillors Alison Moore, Gill Sargeant and Philip Cohen joined us to raise awareness and equip bus drivers to better support the older people and people living with Dementia in Barnet who use their buses.
Across the two roadshows, we connected with over 100 drivers, engaging in crucial conversations about Ageing and Dementia. We distributed flyers and listened to their views and personal experiences. The bus drivers were empathetic and engaged as they reflected with us on challenges they face as drivers and shared their ideas for how best to accommodate the needs of older passengers. Some also spoke with us about personal experiences of having relatives with Dementia.
Listening to the views of older people in our previous engagements and now from bus drivers has been useful in starting a dialogue between these groups. For example, participants in Age-friendly Barnet focus groups mentioned that bus drivers sometimes don’t pull close enough to the curb, which makes it hard for them to get on and off the bus safely. Bus drivers at the event explained that sometimes they cannot pull close to the curb if people waiting for the bus stand too close to the road. They recommended that people take a step back as the bus approaches. Recommendations such as these will be collated into a booklet of ‘top tips’ to distribute to older people in the borough.
Seher Kayikci, Senior Public Health Strategist said: “Engaging the bus network was set as a priority both in Barnet’s Dementia Friendly Action Plan and Age UK’s Call to Action, making the events a key step towards Barnet becoming a more Age and Dementia Friendly borough. The events were eye opening and the positive engagement from the bus managers and drivers shows the potential for future collaboration.”
Excitingly, since the events, bus driver trainers located at Edgware Bus Garage will be incorporating Dementia training into their induction process for new bus drivers to ensure all drivers have a better understanding of dementia. We would like to thank managers from RATP for being so pro-active in supporting this event.
As a resident, you can also be part of making Barnet a more supportive and inclusive environment for older people and people living with Dementia. Why not become a ‘Dementia Friend’ with the Alzheimer’s Society today? Simply watch this short video by visiting: www.dementiafriends.org.uk
You can also join Barnet’s Dementia Friendly Partnership by emailing: Seher.Kayikci@Barnet.gov.uk