A free clinic offering expert support and advice about issues such as memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease for current and retired professional rugby league players is coming to Cumbria.
Funded by the sport’s official charity, Rugby League Cares, the brain health clinic is being held in partnership with Dementia UK at the Melbreak Hotel, near Workington, on Wednesday March 5.
At the clinic, players and their immediate family can have private consultations with the sport’s dedicated Dementia UK Admiral Nurse Joe Costello, who can answer any questions and concerns about dementia, including:
- Understanding the diagnosis
- Practical tips and advice for caring for a person with dementia
- Understanding symptoms and changes in behaviour
- Managing your own feelings
- Transition into a nursing or residential home, or stays in hospital
The clinics have been made possible by the establishment of the RL Cares Brain Health Fund, which was launched in late 2023 with strong input from the charity’s trustee, Kevin Sinfield CBE.
The Brain Health Fund enable RL Cares to host monthly clinics throughout the latter part of 2024, and deliver news, information and advice to current players about what measure they can take to protect their own brain health.
Kevin said: “Education is massively important. Players spend their careers trying to look after every part of their bodies but probably neglect the brain and their own heads.
“We can change the path for some people; we can support people better; but we can support ourselves better too.
“There are some environmental factors we can help each other with but taking some ownership and being accountable for what the future looks like is really important.
“When I played, I fully understood that the game can be brutal at times, and I also understood that when I finished playing there would be parts of me that didn’t quite work as well as they should.
“I think that’s part of most occupations: if you work at a desk in front of a laptop for 30 years, the chances are you are going to have a bad back.
“I also understood there were always ways to help yourself: getting the right balance with what you eat, the amount of sleep you get, where you spend your time, how you keep your brain active.
“That’s a big message we need to share with all players, current and past, so they understand that the path which lies ahead can be a better path.”
Appointments at the clinic in Workington on March 5 are for current or retired professional players, last around 40 minutes and are free and totally confidential.
Joe is also able to host appointments online or by telephone on the day if players are unable to attend.
Joe has over 20 years’ clinical experience in mental health nursing in a range of acute, community and clinic nursing roles in both the NHS and charity sectors, with a specialism in dementia care.
In his Admiral Nurse role, Joe provides specialist dementia support to people living with all forms of dementia, including young onset dementia (where symptoms develop under the age of 65).
Joe is passionate about ensuring people of all ages who are affected by dementia receive appropriate care and support when they need it.
To book, visit https://bit.ly/4goMosl
