HospiceCare tackles dementia care with football sessions

Admiral Nurse Betty Lucas, who is based at HospiceCare in North Northumberland, has played a key role in organising football sessions for people with dementia in collaboration with Newcastle United Football Club and Active Northumberland – a charity committed to improving health and wellbeing within the local community for those living with a life-limiting illness.

This partnership resulted in an inaugural Dementia Football programme which took place in September. The programme is open to anyone living in North Northumberland with a diagnosis of dementia. It will run over ten weeks and be held at Active Northumberland’s Willowburn Leisure Centre, Alnwick and Swan Leisure Centre, Berwick. The football sessions will be facilitated by Paul Yeardon, Newcastle United Community Coach for Alnwick and Regan Graham, Newcastle Community Coach for Berwick together with HospiceCare’s Admiral Nurse, Betty Lucas. Betty is providing additional support to communicate and encourage the people with dementia in the football sessions.

The sessions encourage people with dementia to play the game at their own pace. Each session will last for one hour, after which there will be an opportunity to relax with families and carers over a cuppa and cake to share memories of the history of Newcastle United Football Club.

Admiral Nurse, Betty Lucas, said of the programme: “Through these football sessions, we hope that people diagnosed with dementia can make connections to people with similar interests. We also want to enhance the experience of being part of a team as we know how important connection is to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst people with dementia. Families and carers will have the opportunity to get involved with the session as well; it’s a great chance to meet with each other and form their own support network.”