Volunteers are being sought to help develop an initiative to support serving RAF personnel who are caring for loved ones with dementia.
The initiative is being developed by the Royal Air Forces Association (RAF Association) through working with the Innovation Team at Alzheimer’s Society, after a national survey revealed 15 per cent of its RAF respondents were unpaid carers.
More than 4,000 people took part in the survey, which was the first of its kind to be carried out by the RAF Association – the charity that supports the wellbeing of serving and former RAF personnel.
It is estimated that around 850,000 people nationally have dementia, and numbers are set to rise to more than one million by 2021.
Being contracted to work away from their home area, often at short notice and sometimes overseas, means that RAF personnel and their partners can find themselves caring from afar for a relative with dementia.
Prema Nirgude, Research and Evaluation Manager for the RAF Association, said:
“We want to do everything we can for people in this situation, so we’ve been working closely with the Innovation Team at Alzheimer’s Society to develop some practical ideas for solutions.
“We now need volunteers from the serving RAF community to test our ideas so we can ensure we put the best possible support in place. As the serving RAF populations are higher in Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire than in other areas of the country, these are ideal locations in which to conduct our research.”
Prema said that participation in testing, which will take place in the coming weeks, could be tailored to fit around individuals’ existing commitments.
She said:
“We’d like to hear from serving RAF personnel and partners who are unpaid carers for loved ones with dementia. We’d also like to involve people from the RAF community and the Health and Social Care sectors who provide support to the unpaid carers.”
Volunteers will be asked to attend a taster session for no more than a couple of hours, and to provide feedback on how helpful they found the session.
Simon Lord, Innovation Programme Manager at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Too many people are facing dementia alone without adequate support. We are therefore delighted to be working with the RAF Association, sharing our expertise and supporting them to identify ways to help serving personal and their families affected by dementia.
“Caring for a person with dementia can affect people in different ways. Living or working in a different location to the person needing care can be particularly challenging.
“Using an innovative approach we have helped the RAF Association to develop ideas for solutions. It is extremely encouraging to see two of these solutions being built and tested.
“We look forward to receiving feedback from the RAF Association’s testing period, as this could help in other situations where people are struggling to care from a distance for someone with dementia.”
Sessions for volunteers to help with the research will be held at:
- RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, on 1 October
- RAF Cranwell, Lincolnshire, on 15 October
- RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, on 29 October
People interested in taking part should email welfare@rafa.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
Contacts:
Alex Scoppie, Communications Officer, RAF Association – 0116 268 8755 or alex.scoppie@rafa.org.uk
About the Royal Air Forces Association
The Royal Air Forces Association (or RAF Association) is a membership organisation and registered charity that provides welfare support to the RAF family.
The Association recognises that RAF personnel and their immediate families dedicate their lives to their country, and we believe that such a sacrifice should not result in suffering, poverty or loneliness.
Whether it’s an injured airman or woman fighting to get back on their feet, a young child missing their parent away on overseas operations, or a World War II veteran needing a shoulder to lean on, we are here to help all generations of RAF personnel and their families. We also support serving families if they need us. We give practical, emotional and financial support.
Our membership of 74,000 includes serving RAF personnel, veterans and members of the public who want to show their support for the work that we do.
Across the UK in 2017 the Association carried out more than 115,000 welfare contacts, calls and visits, helped tell thousands of bedtime stories to children whose parents were away on operations, and gave tailored holidays to 2,500 RAF veterans, widows and family at our Wings Breaks hotels.
Our support ranges from simply providing conversation and friendship to preparing and submitting application forms for financial assistance.
Charity numbers: 226686 (England and Wales), SCO37673 (Scotland).
About Alzheimer’s Society
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. We provide information and support, fund research, campaign to improve care and create lasting change for people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Dementia devastates lives. Alzheimer’s Society research shows that 850,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia. By 2021, 1 million people will be living with the condition. This will soar to two million by 2051.
Alzheimer’s Society is committed to spending at least £150 million over the next decade on dementia research to improve care for people today and find a cure for tomorrow.
