Roadchef Charity Partnership 2021
A quarter of all coronavirus deaths have been people with dementia.
The coronavirus pandemic has ripped through our care homes, and people living with dementia have been cut off from their families and the vital support they offer. One day their loved one just stops coming to visit and they don’t understand why. They feel confused, scared and abandoned.
The coronavirus crisis is a dementia crisis, not just because the virus is taking many lives but because ongoing social isolation is accelerating the progression of symptoms and making the day-to-day management of dementia harder. Aside from deaths caused by coronavirus, deaths from dementia in April were 83% higher than average.
Cast your vote by 21 August and let's unite against dementia
From the moment of diagnosis, people with dementia embark on a journey they never expected or wanted to take, but just how Roadchef serves its customers, our Dementia Advisers can provide vital signposts and support along the way. They have been a critical frontline service throughout lockdown - from access to food and medicine to virtual social support groups, Dementia Advisers have kept people with dementia safe.
But we can’t leave people with dementia behind as the UK comes out of lockdown. Months of being cut off from routine and socialising have left dementia symptoms to rapidly worsen. By the time our next partnership starts, we hope our Dementia Advisers will be back on the road helping people with dementia with critical face-to-face support. With its unique position across the country’s road networks, Roadchef will be the power behind our Dementia Advisers as they go about their essential work helping people on their dementia journey.
- 850,000 people have dementia in the UK – with two thirds still living in their own home
- 1 in 4 people who have died from coronavirus had dementia.
- At the pandemic’s peak, deaths caused by dementia were 83% higher than normal.
- 4 in 5 people have reported a deterioration in dementia symptoms, directly due to lockdown.
- Dementia is still the biggest cause of death in the UK.
- Alzheimer’s Society is the only UK charity that campaigns for change, funds research to find better treatments, and supports people living with dementia today.
‘Some days I have difficulty in finishing my sentences and speaking properly, and it makes me very sad. Behind the stuttering, my mind is intact, and I know exactly what’s happening to me.’
Peter Middleton, living with dementia.
‘She’s not the same person, she’s just given up. She won’t understand why we haven’t come to see her. I don’t see how she could understand this pandemic, she wouldn’t understand that. She would just think that we’ve stopped going in to see her.’
Joan, whose Mum has dementia and is living in a care home.
Roadchef knows it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. We will match that dedication with creativity, energy and a personalised approach when it comes to raising funds and donating time in uniting with us against dementia.
- Get fitter. Be faster. Go further. – tackle a trek to Mount Everest’s base camp, across the Sahara Desert, or a marathon or climb in your own local area.
- Be social – from Elf Day to Games Night, from Quit for a Bit to Cupcake Day, we’ve got plenty of fun-filled fundraising events to get involved in
- Give a Dementia Friendly welcome – become a Dementia Friend and help people affected by dementia who pass through your Roadchef neighbourhood
Most importantly, we will be there to support the 52% of you who are affected by dementia in some way. Whether you are concerned for a loved one, a family member, a neighbour, or even your own memory - we will be there with expert talks, dedicated advice and a friendly voice at the end of the phone.
Contact us
If you'd like further information on how you can support us raise awareness with your colleagues please email [email protected]