Touchstone’s BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Dementia Service provides specialist support to people from ethnic minorities living with memory problems or a dementia diagnosis, as well as their carers.
What did people say at the BME Dementia Service?
Some of the people at the BME Dementia Service told us how the loneliness and isolation of the pandemic had really impacted on their mental health. Because they didn’t all know how to use the phone or computer, they had struggled to stay in touch with family, although most had now learnt the computer skills they wanted. A few also said they had been having problems with their physical health because they hadn’t been able to go on gentle walks or attend their regular groups.
Most people said they feared COVID and preferred to stay indoors, with two saying they haven’t been out since March 2020. The Zoom exercise classes and social group meetings organised by Touchstone have been a “blessing”.
A couple of people spoke about dentists only offering partial work (such as a check-up and clean but not fillings).
Most of the group members said they would like GP surgeries to resume face to face consultations, or at least offer the option to older people and those with English as a second language, as not everyone is able to get online. Three people spoke about the difficulties they had in booking an appointment; they talked about experience where, when they finally got through to reception after much waiting, they were asked to call the next day as there were no appointments left. Many have family members who have to take time off work to help them make calls or go to appointments with them.
Most people would like to return to some form of normality and have local groups run as they did previously, but they were afraid that, with winter was approaching, they would be homebound. One person said they would like home help as they suffer with a lot of joint pain and were finding it more and more difficult to do daily tasks at home. Some said a culturally appropriate befriending service would be good, as well as somewhere local for older people to meet for a chat and cup of tea.
