Online tool empowers dementia carers to access wellbeing support

People coming to terms with a loved-one's dementia diagnosis have been getting support with their emotional wellbeing, thanks to an initiative delivered by NHFT.
The scheme has seen family members and carers offered free use of an online self-help tool to help them understand and cope with the life changes they are dealing with. As well as being able to access these handy resources at any time, the package included two follow-up support sessions with a therapist.
The initiative was part of a national research project run by the University of East Anglia, which is now complete. It was aimed at understanding how self-help tools can benefit carers and the results are expected to be published soon. This is just one of many examples of research projects which NHFT gets involved with as part of our commitment to providing outstanding, compassionate care and making a difference, together.
Consultant in Neuropsychology Dr Louise Birkett-Swan, who led the project for NHFT, says: "Dementia is a life-changing diagnosis for family members and carers as well as the person directly affected. This research project gave people in this situation the opportunity to trial an intervention that wouldn't otherwise have been available to them.
"Something like this can really give people hope - not just with the support that they have been able to access themselves, but by engaging in a process which could go on to support others. That in itself is important for quite a few people."