Dementia Carers’ Support

Are you concerned about a relative who has memory problems? With our help you can access a wide range of services available to you in the Lewisham Borough. Over the last year, various organisations have come together and are all working in partnership to provide the best possible support for the person you care for and to YOU as a carer.

If you have concerns about someone experiencing memory difficulties, the first step is to contact the person’s GP (often memory problems have nothing to do with anything serious, but could be triggered by the person’s medicines interacting which can make them confused,  OR they may even have an infection. These need to be ruled out before anything else can be done). If the GP is still not sure what is wrong, the next step would be to refer your loved one to the new Lewisham Memory Service.

Lewisham Memory Clinic 

This service will do various beneficial tests (memory tests, assessments etc.) to determine what may be causing the person to have memory difficulties, and try to come up with the best treatment for them. Although there are various therapies and drugs available for memory problems, each individual is different, so several tests may be implemented in order to get to the bottom of the problem, and for the right treatment to be applied.

If the person concerned has a diagnosis of memory problems, they will then be referred to the Mental Health Community Team (this team will then provide expert psychological assessments). For ongoing support, the person you care for will be also be referred to Lewisham MindCare. Lewisham MindCare is the new voluntary sector organisation that aims to provide a wide range of support for the person with memory problems. They have various advisors who help by offering: advice, information and opportunities to meet up with others who also have memory issues (to gain mutual support) and to learn more about the condition and how to manage it.

Support from Carers Lewisham

Any carers identified will be referred to Carers Lewisham and our new dementia support officer, Aykut Köksal (pronounced ‘I coult’). Aykut’s role is aimed at providing a wide range of support to the carers including: One-to-one emotional support to help carers cope, providing sessions to enable carers to learn more about memory issues, help them access practical support and financial benefits.

Aykut runs the Dementia Drop-In (informal chats about various memory problems and practical advice to help understand and control emotions linked with the illness) at Carers Lewisham, which takes place on the last Friday of every month 10.30 –12.30pm at the Carers Centre in Forest Hill. For more information or if you need help to attend the sessions please contact Aykut at Carers Lewisham 020 8699 8686.

You can also get support online on our Dementia Facebook Group.

Our Facebook groups provide a safe environment where cares can exchange experiences and seek support when needed. The groups are closed and moderated so only carers registered with us can participate, and all inappropriate posts are deleted. You also need to be registered on Facebook to be able to participate. All posts within the group are private and will not show on your wall. There are training sessions available for carers on Facebook and Twitter, have a look at our Events page or the latest newsletter for updated dates.