F​​ree specialist dementia clinics coming to Belfast

The clinics will be held in the Belfast branch of Leeds Building Society, bringing emotional and practical support closer to families with dementia through the charity’s specialist dementia nurses, known as Admiral Nurses. Dementia UK’s Closer to Home clinics will run on the May 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18.

The face-to-face clinic will offer a safe, comfortable and private space for families to discuss any aspect of dementia and receive the specialist support of Admiral Nurses.

Between June 2021 and January 2023, over 3,600 families have been helped through Dementia UK’s ‘Closer to Home’ virtual clinics, and the charity has partnered with Leeds Building Society to offer in-person support across the United Kingdom throughout 2023.

In April 2020, Dementia UK and Leeds Building Society announced a four-year partnership to raise £500,000 to help over 2,500 families with dementia across the UK. As part of this partnership, the innovative ‘Closer to Home’ project was also launched in June 2021, to improve access to dementia care and support.

The partnership’s initial target of £500,000 has now been exceeded. Thanks to this, Dementia UK has been able to develop and deliver virtual appointments with specialist dementia nurses for an even larger number of families and individuals.

Ruby Guild, Clinical Admiral Nurse at Dementia UK, said: “ We know that dementia doesn’t just affect the person with the diagnosis: families, friends and carers are also impacted.

“The Closer to Home clinics have been a huge success already, helping us to deliver specialist dementia support first-hand. It’s been brilliant to see the difference this makes and we are looking forward to supporting people in Belfast in partnership with Leeds Building Society.

“Dementia is a huge and growing health crisis – someone in the UK develops dementia every three minutes. This means it’s more important than ever for us to reach families and offer one on one support from our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. From worries about memory problems to understanding a dementia diagnosis and how the condition progresses, we will be providing practical and emotional advice on caring for someone who lives with this progressive condition, along with giving advice on financial and legal issues.”

Richard Fearon, CEO of Leeds Building Society, said: “We believe everyone who needs the support of a specialist dementia nurse should get one in a safe and secure environment, and we are glad to be able to offer space in our network of branches across the UK to allow this.”

To book a confidential and in-person appointment with an Admiral Nurse, visit dementiauk.org/closer-to-home