Cumberland FA are looking to help anyone concerned about themselves or a loved one who may be experiencing symptoms of dementia.
The county is working with The FA and Alzheimer’s Society to ensure that all involved in or around the game within Cumberland can access support.
A report commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society and conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science found that in 2019 there were around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK, and that this is likely to rise to 1.6 million people by 2040.
An estimated 209,600 people will develop dementia this year, that’s one person every three minutes.
This includes over 42,000 people under the age of 65 with young-onset dementia.
Cumberland FA CEO, Ben Snowdon, has completed the required training and is a Dementia Friend.
He said: “For those who know my personal circumstances you will know that this is a very personal subject as my dad was diagnosed with early-onset dementia a number of years ago and is now in a care home due to him requiring specialist support.
“This was thankfully the first person from within my family that has had dementia and so we understand first-hand the difficulty that we had, in not only coming to terms and accepting that my dad may have dementia, but also in knowing how to go about getting a diagnosis and who to speak to about it.
“This is a cruel, cruel illness, not only for the individual with the disease but also those around them providing the care. So support, and at times respite, for those carers is also vital for their own wellbeing and again the referral process may assist with this and I know the support my mam received from the Alzheimer’s Society was greatly appreciated by all of the family.
“It is important that we talk about dementia. We can’t underestimate the impact of the disease and instead need to continue to raise awareness and encourage further investment into research and into the support services that are needed to try and ensure a person centred care approach that focuses on promoting their wellbeing and meeting their needs to try to enable them to live as full a life as they can for as long as they can.
“This includes football and whilst we are certainly not experts at the Cumberland FA, this partnership means that we know someone who is and can refer people towards the help and support that anyone who may be worried about themselves or a loved one needs.”
A trained staff member from Cumberland FA will provide more information and help with a referral to anyone who needs advice or support.
All that is needed is the completion of an online form, providing some basic details, or telephone 01900 511 800 (option 3) to speak to the trained staff member.
