News

One of the most important services offered by our National Charity Partner, Alzheimer Scotland, is the charity’s 24 hour Dementia Helpline.  The Helpline offers advice and support to people with dementia, their family and friends and those worried about dementia.

The Helpline is just one of the projects we are supporting this season via our £25,000 pledge to the charity.  We want to help Alzheimer Scotland make sure no-one has to go through dementia alone, and the helpline is a vital lifeline for many people struggling with the disease. 

There To Listen and Offer Advice

“I’m told I have dementia – what do I do now?”

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The Helpline operates 365 days a year to help with the answer to this question and many more.  The service has been running since 1989, and the men and women who work on the Helpline are carefully selected and trained so that they can offer emotional support, as well as appropriate information and sources of local help.  

Helpline Manager Elaine Harley explains, “The Helpline gets calls and e-mails from thousands of carers, people with dementia, neighbours, relatives, friends, health and social care professionals, and students.  

 “People’s questions are really wide ranging, and include legal matters, paying for care, welfare benefits, getting help with caring, coping with behavioural challenges, difficulties with care homes or hospitals and information on suitable publications.  

“Many people are worried about their own or a relative’s memory and don’t know what to do about it.  Others have been told they have some kind of dementia but not much more, so they call the Helpline and we are able to talk them through their questions and send information if they want it.

“Some calls are about very complex issues that we can’t necessarily answer ourselves but we have access to a range of professionals in the legal, welfare rights and medical fields who can help with these.”

The Helpline answers around 5,000 calls and e-mails every year, the majority of which come from family carers – partners, sons and daughters and friends.  30% of those callers go on to be signposted to an Alzheimer Scotland service, but some just need some basic help and advice, or a sympathetic ear in their time of need. 

 “The Helpline is there to support carers and people with dementia at times when other helping agencies or family members may not be around,” Elaine added, “Sometimes carers just need a listening ear in the early hours of the morning when the person they are caring for is asleep.

“We can’t solve every problem, but we can and do listen.  Everyone on the Helpline is very committed to the work we do and we’re keen to make sure that the public knows about our service and the help and support we offer.  It’s fantastic that the Rangers Charity Foundation has given us the opportunity to raise awareness of the Helpline amongst supporters.”

If you’re worried about memory problems or about any aspect of living with or coping with dementia, and would like to talk in confidence, you can phone 0808 808 3000 at any time.  You can also e-mail – helpline@alzscot.org