‘I’m a retired GP and I remember seeing dementia patients when I was in practice – they usually thought they were depressed.’⁣ ⁣ Afzal Sheikh has vascular dementia and is determined to help future healthcare professionals understand the condition.⁣ ⁣ The 86-year-old is part of the Time for Dementia programme which is an exciting, innovative, award-winning educational programme designed to create a new generation of healthcare professionals who are more aware and understanding of dementia.⁣ ⁣ ‘They want to know more about me, so I give them as much information as I can provide. Whatever I can offer to help people understand more is good.⁣ ⁣ ‘I talk to the students about the workings of medicine, how I used to do my work and diagnose patients. Old things come back to me.⁣ ⁣ ‘I advise them that the patient may be self-conscious about it. Be calm, collected, and give the patient your full attention. I also advise them that they should know more about their patient’s family and history.⁣ ⁣ ‘If you know people well, you can catch changes when they come in. This is how a doctor has to be.’⁣ ⁣ ‘I think people should know more about dementia. And if people with dementia can help, they should also help.’⁣ ⁣ To read more about Afzal’s journey with dementia visit https://bit.ly/3qfDeqo⁣ ⁣ To find out more about Time for Dementia, and whether you can help, visit https://bit.ly/3KRgSoz