Free clinics for people affected by dementia to be held in banks in Northern Ireland

A charity supporting people with dementia is set to host a number of pop-up clinics in banks in Northern Ireland offering specialist face-to-face care.

The free clinics from Dementia UK are being held in Nationwide branches in Portadown, Ballymena and Coleraine to coincide with World Alzheimer’s Month.

The charity’s specialist dementia nurses, known as admiral nurses, will offer support to families and individuals living with dementia, including practical and emotional advice on all aspects of the condition – from worries about memory problems and understanding a diagnosis and how it can progress to help with financial and legal issues.

It is part of an initiative with Nationwide, which is offering 200 pop-up clinics in branches around the UK.

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Nationwide also funds 30 dementia specialist admiral nurse posts through Dementia UK.

Sarah Priestley, admiral nurse at Dementia UK, said: “We’re looking forward to bringing specialist face-to-face support for people affected by dementia to Northern Ireland.

“By partnering with Nationwide, we are able to provide a safe space in towns across the county to ensure our admiral nurses are able to reach as many people affected by the condition as possible.”

She added that “dementia is a huge and growing health crisis – someone in the UK develops dementia every three minutes”.

“It’s more important than ever that we reach families and individuals affected by dementia and offer one-on-one support from our dementia specialist admiral nurses,” she said.

Appointments can be booked via Dementia UK with pop-up clinics set to visit:

• Ballymena, Wellington Street - September 24, 25 and 26.
• Portadown, High Street – October 1, 2 and 3.
• Coleraine, The Diamond - October 29, 30 and 31.