Side By Side service aims to increase support for Alzheimer's patients

A new service launched by Alzheimer’s Society aims to find those diagnosed with dementia a friend. The project hopes to bring like minded people together with those diagnosed with dementia, a degenerative neurological disease. A third of people diagnosed with dementia report losing friends, so it’s not hard to understand why there are already over 2000 people signed up to the Side by Side service.

There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, a figure that is expected to rise to over 1 million by 2020. A common misconception of dementia is that it’s just a part of the aging process, and a disease that can not be prevented, something that is simply not true. Those who balance a healthy diet and exercise are less likely to develop dementia.

There are a variety of ways in which people can volunteer their time to Side by Side. People can volunteer in person or on the phone, and the time can vary depending on your availability. For those that do want to volunteer in person, how you decide to volunteer is completely up to you; popping in for a cup of tea and maybe a few card games would make a difference, or you could take someone out for the day.

Loneliness is a common issue amongst the elderly, and even more so for those diagnosed with dementia. Side by Side is all about maintaining those vital human relationships, which is where volunteers can help. If you would like to find out how you can volunteer your time to the Side by Side project, please visit the website here.