Dementia UK shares the signs and symptoms of dementia to look out for ahead of free clinics in the South West
Nationwide and Dementia UK’s free face-to-face clinics are returning to Nationwide’s Newton Abbot, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Exmouth, Devizes, and Winton branches this September, offering specialist support in a safe, comfortable and private space for people to discuss any aspect of dementia.
Hosted by Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses, the clinics are open to anyone impacted by dementia, offering life-changing support to families and individuals in the area. The clinics will take place throughout September, and appointments can be booked viaDementia UK’s website here.
The clinics will offer practical and emotional advice on all aspects of dementia – from worries about symptoms through to getting a diagnosis and understanding how the condition can progress.
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.
The signs of dementia differ from person to person, but the common symptoms include:
- Memory problems – e.g. increasing forgetfulness, difficulty retaining information and getting lost in places that used to be familiar
- Changes in cognitive ability – e.g. difficulties with decision making, a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities and problems understanding time and place
- Communication issues – e.g. struggling to find the right words, confused or rambling speech and calling people and items by the wrong name
- Changes in behaviour and personality – e.g. becoming agitated, upset or impatient more easily than usual, acting impulsively in ways that are socially inappropriate, experiencing restlessness such as pacing or fighting
If someone is concerned about having symptoms of dementia, it is important to book an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.
There can be challenges along the way to receiving a diagnosis, for example a personal may be reluctant to go to the doctor due to fear or be in denial that there is an issue, but it’s important that families know they’re not alone - Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses are there to help.
The clinics in the South West 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: “We’re looking forward to returning to the South West to offer support and advice to families affected by dementia in the area. 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.”
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.”
To book a confidential and in-person appointment with an Admiral Nurse in the South West, visit:https://www.dementiauk.org/information-and-support/how-we-can-support-you/admiral-nurse-clinics/nationwide/?misc=media.
The clinics will visit:
- Newton Abbot, 7 Pearl Assurance House, Queen Street TQ12 2AQ – 2nd, 3rd and 4th September
- Plymouth, 141/143 Armada Way PL1 1HX – 9th, 10th and 11th September
- Barnstaple, Unit 6, Green Lanes Shopping Centre EX31 1UL – 17th and 18th September
- Exmouth, 10 Rolle Street EX8 1EY – 24th and 25th September
