HELP will be at hand for dementia patients and their loved ones at Redditch’s Nationwide branch.
Dementia specialist Admiral Nurses will host free face-to-face clinics at the Station Road building society and will offer specialist support in a safe, comfortable and private space for people to discuss any aspect of dementia.
The clinics on September 16, 17 and 18 will offer practical and emotional advice on all aspects of dementia – from worries about memory problems, understanding a diagnosis and how the condition can progress to help with financial and legal issues.
Ahead of the appointments, Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nursing charity, has shared some of the common signs and symptoms of dementia people should look out for in themselves and others.
Dementia is often associated with memory problems, but the first symptoms of dementia are not always memory-related, meaning sometimes people don’t recognise the early signs.
Other signs can include changes in cognitive ability – for instance difficulties with decision-making, a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities and problems understanding time and place and communication issues for example struggling to find the right words, confused or rambling speech and calling people and items by the wrong name.
If someone is concerned about having symptoms of dementia, it is important to book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.
Charlotte Kensett, director of customer experience and social impact for Nationwide, said: “Dementia impacts millions of families and that’s why we’re incredibly proud to have brought life-changing support into 200 of our branches and helped more than 30,000 people through our partnership with Dementia UK.
“As a mutual we believe we have a role to play in strengthening the communities we serve and supporting those most in need. Through our social impact strategy, Nationwide Fairer Futures, we’re committed to changing hundreds of thousands of lives for the better.”
The clinics are part of Nationwide’s social impact programme, Fairer Futures, which addresses four of the UK’s biggest social issues through charity partnerships – family poverty (Action for Children), youth homelessness (Centrepoint), dementia (Dementia UK) and cancer (The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity).
Nationwide is funding 30 dementia specialist Admiral Nurses and is hosting clinics in 200 branches across the country.
Sarah Cooper, admiral nurse at Dementia UK, said: “Our clinic programme, in partnership with Nationwide Building Society, has now been running for over a year which has enabled us to reach thousands of people across the country who need the support of a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse.”
For more or to book an appointment visit Dementia UK’s website.
