Nationwide Building Society has partnered with Dementia UK to offer a free support scheme across its branches for anyone impacted by the country's leading cause of death.
Across Nationwide’s network of 200+ branches there will be free clinic appointments for anyone whose life is impacted by dementia, with specialist help from Dementia UK’s admiral nurses.
They are specialist dementia nurses from the charity who work in local community services, NHS hospitals, hospices and care homes. And now Nationwide branches too.
It is the first of its kind from a UK financial firm and it is open for everyone, so you don’t need to be a Nationwide customer to take advantage of the health and financial support on offer.
As well as the professional help from 30 nurses there will also be a dedicated phone line set up for those who can’t make it to a branch.
The first locations to receive the help were in Swindon Croft, Devizes and Trowbridge.
As of 12 August, that will be extended to Swindon Regent Street, Marlborough and Salisbury before being rolled out across the UK.
All branches involved in the initiative will hold the clinics in a safe and quiet space. The nurses will be available once every three months over a three-day period between Tuesday and Thursday.
The support on hand will address understanding a dementia diagnosis, any worries about symptoms plus support on how to best care for someone with dementia. The specially trained nurses will also aid with financial and legal issues, as well as emotional support.
Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK and this initiative hopes to assist 100,000 people impacted by the diagnosis, which involves a range of life-changing symptoms including memory loss and a decline in cognitive abilities.
Further, the number of people living with dementia – the UK’s leading cause of death – is forecast to rise to 1.6 million people by 2040, according to official statistics.
If you or a loved one has dementia, read YourMoney.com‘s step-by-step guide to help manage your finances after a dementia diagnosis.
‘Nationwide’s backing will help deliver face-to-face support’
Dr. Hilda Hayo, chief admiral nurse and CEO at Dementia UK, said: “Nationwide’s backing, network and expertise will help us deliver practical and emotional face-to-face support across the country in their branches, helping us bring specialist dementia care to more people than ever through our admiral nurses.
Debbie Crosbie, chief executive officer of Nationwide, said the mutual “wants to help people live their best life possible, for as long as possible”.
Crosbie added: “By working with Dementia UK to fund more admiral nurses and turning our branches into dementia clinics, we’re helping to tackle the country’s leading cause of death. As a mutual, we work for the good of society as well as our members. We believe this and Nationwide Fairer Futures will change hundreds of thousands of lives for the better.”
