Free drop-in sessions for people affected by dementia are being offered by a Salford bank.
The Nationwide bank in Salford Shopping Centre, Pendleton, will be offering free 45-minute drop-in sessions with Dementia UK Admiral Nurses – specialist nurses trained to provide expert dementia advice and understanding to help families care for their loved ones.
They will run from December 9-11, from 10am-3pm. Appointments can be booked via the website and you do not have to be a Nationwide customer to attend.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s can be a lonely syndrome and having an accessible support network is incredibly important.
The sessions have been running across the UK since September 2024 and have been very successful so far, with more than 4,000 appointments booked.
So far 14 appointments have been booked at the Salford branch but there is still plenty more availability.
Salford was identified by Nationwide working with Dementia UK as an area of high demand for services.
A Nationwide spokesperson said: “We’ve had positive feedback from people who have attended a dementia clinic.
One participant said: “I first heard about the Nationwide dementia clinics on Facebook. I had a 45-minute appointment with an Admiral Nurse; no other healthcare professional has ever given me that much time. It was amazing to speak to somebody who understood and had the time to listen.”
The familiar bank has been a comforting setting for those attending especially as clinical settings can be daunting.
While GP appointments are usually 10 minutes long, the new clinic appointments offer up to 45 minutes with free expert advice from an Admiral Nurse.
One in two people will be affected by dementia in their lifetime, either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. It often leaves people feeling overwhelmed and alone, pushed to their emotional, physical and financial limits.
Salford offers a range of support groups for people and families with dementia.
Chris Sewards is the dementia lead at Aspire in Swinton, where a range of fun activities are held for those with dementia.
He has been at Aspire since 2014 and has since curated activities such as the music café, dancing with dementia and their upcoming Winter Warmer on October 28.
The events are a chance for people to not talk about dementia but instead socialise with others like themselves. Chris has seen for himself that people feel comfort in knowing that they’re not alone.
He said: “The good thing is that people are really looking out for each other which is pretty heart-warming to see.
“The things that are the most important to people are peer support, people in the same boat as them – who you can talk to about something and they will understand and not avoid you, because quite often when people get a diagnosis they lose friends.”
He recalls a member who attends the resource centre. The attendee fights their own battles, adjusting from being the CEO of company with a big golfing hobby to not being able to recall these happy memories with his friends.
Music is the unifying factor at the centre, especially when it comes to 60’s and 70’s music hits.
It gives people who struggle to speak to others during the day a chance to sing along to a song in order. Even the carers of the attendees have a chance to socialise, which is just as important.
Supporting through the diagnosis stage is especially important.
The services and support at the centre are a ‘lifeline’ for the members. The centre sees many people who have anxiety and are socially isolated, and their events provide a vital routine to make their lives that little bit easier.
Nationwide will soon also be able to contribute to supporting those affected by dementia.
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