This year for Jellybean’s 12 Days of Giving I have chosen to support Dementia UK, who provide specialist and compassionate support for families affected by all forms of dementia – including Alzheimer’s disease – through their Admiral Nurse service.
As dementia specialists, Admiral Nurses help families manage complex needs – considering the person living with dementia and the people around them. They help people living with dementia to stay independent for longer, and support the people caring for them so they have the strength to cope with the bad days, and the energy to enjoy the good days.
This charity has a special place in my heart for very personal reasons – both my grandad and grandma had Alzheimer’s and dementia respectively, so it hits very close to home. Seeing your loved ones deteriorate and become more and more forgetful and unable to look after themselves is so heart-breaking. Although they were based in South Africa and couldn’t benefit from this charity, I know first-hand just how important their nurses and care-givers were in managing their quality of life and helping to support my family through the tough times. They really were a lifeline, and without them I don’t know where we would be.
There are currently around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million people by 2040. By supporting Dementia UK, we are helping to make sure that families all over the UK who are affected by dementia don’t have to go through it alone, and are able to get the specialist help and support they need to get through another day.
For more information about Dementia UK, and how you can get involved, visit www.dementiauk.org
