Nationwide is use its national network of branches to offer specialist dementia clinics to help tackle the country’s leading cause of death.
Nationwide is funding 30 Dementia UK Admiral Nurses to bring specialist health and financial support across its 200-strong branch network.
Free clinic appointments in branches will be able to be booked on set dates and are available for anyone affected by dementia, including family and carers. The clinics will also be available to non-Nationwide customers.
Around a million people are living with dementia in the UK today. That figure is set to increase to 1.6 million by 2040, with the annual cost to the UK economy expected to rise to £90 billion by 2040.
In-branch dementia services will include both health and financial suppor, including understanding a dementia diagnosis, worries about symptoms, support on how to best care for someone with dementia, as well as financial and legal issues and emotional support.
Jayne Sibley, co-founder and CEO of fintech Sibstar - which provides a debit card and app for families livving with dementia - comments: “Nine in ten of those affected by dementia experience difficulties with managing their money day-to-day, and nearly half find money difficulties a major cause of stress and worry. For many families, the only viable solution has been to completely remove access to finances, which can lead to financial exclusion and social isolation. This exclusion can worsen cognitive decline and increase the need for more intensive and costly care.
“With the number of dementia diagnoses rising in the UK and the proliferation of scams targeting financially vulnerable people accelerating, multi-sector collaborations like this one between Nationwide and Dementia UK are key. We need more banks, charities, law enforcement, retailers and the government to work together to protect those living with dementia and other financially vulnerable groups.”