Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia support and research charity for anyone affected by any form of dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 In a guest blog for Life Law NI,  Sam Cox, Knowledge Officer (Legal and Welfare Rights) for Alzheimer’s Society tells us about the work that Alzheimer’s Society do and how they can help you if you are dealing with dementia within your family.

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 Currently there are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is set to rise to 1 million by 2021. Dementia can happen to anyone, and currently there is no cure.

Receiving a diagnosis of dementia, or finding out about a relative or friend’s diagnosis can be difficult and upsetting.  It can be hard to know what to do next, or how to access any support or care that may be needed.

At Alzheimer’s Society, we are here for anyone affected by dementia. We provide information and advice to people as well as running services.  We also invest in different types of research and work on campaigning for change.

Information and advice

We are the first point of contact for anyone dealing with dementia. Through our website, factsheets and booklets, National Dementia Helpline and face-to-face services, we provide comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information about dementia. This can be anything from information about Enduring Power of Attorney, to care home fees through to accessing a diagnosis.

We also operate a 24 hour online forum – Talking Point – whose members are people affected by dementia who offer support and advice to one another.

Care and Support

We have almost 3,000 local services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, providing practical and emotional support for people with dementia and their carers.

These services include dementia advisers and support workers, dementia cafes, day and home support, befriending, carer support groups and Singing for the Brain groups.

Research

We also fund research that not only looks at finding a cure and the causes of dementia, but looks at best practices in care and how to prevent it.

The distinctive feature about our research is the integral involvement of people with dementia and their carers. This is as those with a direct experience of living with dementia inform our research priorities.

Campaigning

Alzheimer’s Society also campaigns for changes that improve all aspects of care and support for people affected by dementia.

You can find further information on the Alzheimer’s Society and the work they do on their website https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/