Impact review 2011/12

Zalihe Hassan cares for her mother, Halide Eames, 81, who was diagnosed with dementia in Spring 2012. Their local dementia adviser Steve Reading visits the family regularly, offering a range of information and support.

How did you first hear about Alzheimer's Society?

'When mum was first diagnosed with the early stages of dementia, I couldn't really take it on board. You hear the terms 'Alzheimer's' or 'dementia' but you don't know what they really mean. I'd never met anyone with the condition. The doctor gave me a leaflet about Alzheimer's Society and I called them for some advice. That's how I met Steve, my dementia adviser.'

What kind of information and support have you had?

'Steve has helped with lots of different things for me and mum. He sat down with my daughter and I and went through mum's diagnosis, explaining how the brain works and that dementia is not just an old age thing, it can happen to anyone. It helped me understand what was happening to mum and prepared me for what's coming in the future. I now know that things are not going to get better physically with mum's Alzheimer's disease, but there are lots of things that can be done to help her live with it. Steve has sorted out practical things too, like arranging for someone to look at adjusting the bathroom so it's easier for me to get mum in and out of the bath. He helped me get a grant for carers, something I wouldn't have known about. The extra money pays for things like petrol to come back and forward from mum's.

'He referred me to social services for day care and lunch clubs for mum, and I'm also finding out about day trips for her so she can get out and meet people. If I don't take her, she doesn't go out anymore and she was so independent before. He's helped me to arrange a disabled parking badge too - without one I have to drop mum off and leave her while I go and park the car.'

What difference has this support made to your family?

'It's been so helpful. If you don't know anything about dementia, you're in the dark. But having information and help from Alzheimer's Society can take a lot of worry off your mind. As soon as I met Steve it was like we'd known each other for years and I felt really comfortable asking him questions. If it wasn't for Alzheimer's Society, I'd have gone round and round before getting the information I needed. I appreciate everything they've done for me. They're helping me to make mum's life a bit more comfortable.'

During the year

• We hosted the 27th International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), which brought together people affected by or working with dementia to share advances in knowledge and good practice, and was an outstanding success.
• We achieved the Department of Health's Information Standard accreditation for our health and social care information. This recognition means those who use our information can feel confident that it's up-to-date, evidence-based and relevant to them.
• We published a guide to healthy eating for people with dementia, a guide for homecare workers, a series of information cards in Urdu and Punjabi, an introduction to dementia DVD in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English, and factsheets on urinary tract infection, and exercise and physical activity.
• We introduced volunteers to our National Dementia Helpline to provide basic information, freeing up our advisers to deal with more complex enquiries. Funding from Tesco and the February Foundation will allow us to extend our weekday opening hours and open at weekends. Our Northern Ireland helpline and our main helpline are now an integrated 'virtual' helpline service. 
• We secured local funding to continue to provide 11 of the 16 Dementia Adviser services in England that were set up under a Department of Health pilot. We now run 40 Dementia Adviser services, providing vital information and signposting to people with dementia.