New research has revealed half of Britain’s generation of ‘baby boomers’ fear the prospect of having to care for a parent with dementia more than a dementia diagnosis of their own. With 1 million people estimated to be living with dementia by 2025, Britain’s ‘baby boomers’ are increasingly finding they are providing emotional, physical and practical support to a loved one living with dementia. Despite 64% believing it is possible to provide proper care at home, a resounding 81% said they ‘would feel ill equipped’ to support a relative with dementia.
LloydsPharmacy has today announced the rollout of life changing dementia products that will be accessible on the high street and ‘click and collect’ for the first time through a pioneering partnership with Unforgettable.org, the UK’s leading authority on dementia products and services.
From today, a carefully curated range of seven life changing products for carers and those living with dementia will be available from 50 LloydsPharmacy and nine Betterlife from LloydsPharmacy stores. These products support independence, safety, comfort and wellbeing and will be as easy to find as paracetamol or toothpaste. A 2-in-1 Day Clock, Easy Eating Kit and Shining Star Cube with Soothing Sounds are part of an extensive range, also available online at lloydspharmacy.com for ‘click and collect’ or home delivery.
With more than 15,000 store colleagues currently trained Dementia Friends, LloydsPharmacy are working closely with Unforgettable and the Alzheimer’s Society to ensure all of their colleagues are able to offer advice and support to carers and customers looking to purchase dementia products.
Fearing they will be ill equipped, 1 in 3 Britons are more afraid of undertaking a carer’s role than they are of fighting cancer, and an astonishing 31% fear caring for a loved one with dementia more than their own death.
Having supported their children, ‘baby boomers’ now fear doing the same for their parents, without the support network and product offering that can make a difference to parenthood. With 1 in 3 worried about the pressure and strain a carer role can place on family relationships and a further 30% of people afraid of feeling helpless and alone, the life changing products available at LloydsPharmacy will alleviate the difficulties, and often distress, associated with caring for someone living with dementia.
Cormac Tobin, Managing Director of Celesio UK, parent company to LloydsPharmacy says, “We are delighted to be partnering with Unforgettable and offer our customers access to products that will enhance their quality of life. As a business, we are passionate about supporting our communities, and offering support for patients diagnosed with dementia and their carers is an ambition of ours; this partnership fits entirely with our belief in inspiring more positive lives, reflecting the care and respect we show to our customers and patients every day.”
James Ashwell, Founder, Unforgettable.org says, “After caring for my Mum with dementia for 5 years I know just how tough it can be, and I wanted to find practical ways to help. There is currently no cure, but products exist that help with the daily challenges of dementia and they can make a real difference. Until I started Unforgettable these products were almost impossible to find, in fact 87% of the UK believe no products exist to help with dementia, yet we have over 1,000 at Unforgettable.org. It’s been a 5-year dream to get these life-changing products onto the high street and from today, for the first time anywhere in the world these previously hard to come by dementia products will be as easy to find a paracetamol or toothpaste.
With a carer explosion on the horizon, it is vital we start to demystify dementia care and demonstrate the possibilities to improve health, wellbeing and safety at home.”
Ashwell adds, “It is well known that the health and wellbeing of carers is a reflection of the loved one they are looking after. These life enhancing products which are now available on the High Street are as fundamental to the life of someone living with dementia as they are to a carer, offering peace of mind and a sense of normality during a challenging time. I know first-hand how physically and emotionally tiring looking after a loved one with dementia can be, and believe this partnership with LloydsPharmacy will change the lives of other carers.”
Zoe Harris, who cared for her husband Geoff who had dementia, says, “As my husband’s dementia worsened, shopping became an increasingly stressful experience, and is something I tried to keep to a minimum. One of the few places I did need to visit on a regular basis was the pharmacy, so seeing items on the shelf to help deal with the challenges we faced would have helped enormously.”
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive, Alzheimer’s Society says, ‘While people with dementia tell us they want to live in their communities, the symptoms of dementia makes aspects of day-to-day life more difficult, and in some cases it may also put them at risk. This partnership with LloydsPharmacy and Unforgettable to increase products on the high street that can help with some of these challenges, is a significant step towards supporting carers, and empowering people with dementia to improve their independence, safety and wellbeing.’
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