Living with Dementia
In Thanet and East Kent
Alzheimer's Society - National charity providing advice and support to people with all forms of dementia and their carers.
Local branch - 01227 730000
LGBT Support Group - Alzheimer's Society's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Support group is a telephone support service for anyone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender and who is, or who has been, caring for someone with dementia.
Trained and skilled volunteers are able to offer a listening ear to enquirers.
For information about the LGBT Support Group please contact Alzheimer's Society Dementia Helpline on 0845 300 0336 (weekdays 8.30am to 6.30pm).
If you would like to talk to someone, phone:
Roger: 01843 220932
Pat (Patricia): 0797 391 6335
Bruce: 018 6584 7471
Email: gaycarers@alzheimers.org.uk
Denis Bently Carer's Grant - Administered by the local branch. If you are a carer looking after someone with dementia/Alzheimer's, the Dennis Bently Carer's Grant fund may be able to help you with a grant of up to £300.
Anything, such as a new washing machine ,bedding or transport, will be considered, as long as it will benefit the person being cared for. For an application form or further advice, please contact the local branch phone number.
Thanet Support Group meets on first Wednesday of each month (except August) from 1530 till 1630 at the Sarre Day centre, Q.E.Q.M.
The local branch newsletter can be downloaded here. To view the newsletter you need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, which can be downloaded here
Relatives & Memory Support Group - Meets monthly, normally second Tuesday of the month. It is organised by Fran and Julia, occupational therapists at Sarre Day Unit, Q.E.Q.M. Hospital, in conjunction with the local branch of the Alzheimer's Society.
It is in the form of a coffee morning where carers, relatives, and anyone with dementia are all welcome. As well as Fran and Julia there are often other health professionals in attendance, who are happy to chat and take questions.
Dates, times and the location of the meeting can be found in the calendar of events page.
Anyone with difficulties with transport should phone 01843 234409.
Kent Carers Emergency Card - This is a card for carers to carry which identifies them as a carer and has a telephone number for people, such as emergency services, to call in the event of the carer becoming incapacitated.
For further details, and how to apply, click here.
Volcare - Volcare Canterbury and Thanet is a registered charity (number 1072811), fully funded by Social Services, which offers flexible home-based respite for carers in the community.
It helps carers who need to have some time to themselves, and whose relatives or friends need or want to stay in their own home while the carer has a break.
Respite can be booked for a day, a weekend, one or two weeks and for planned hospital admissions. Volcare volunteers can also work with carers on a shared care basis. Respite can be booked throughout the year for occasional periods only and Volcare cannot provide respite on a weekly basis. On average, volunteers can be booked for one or two days a month, subject to volunteer's availability
Volcare cannot be used as an emergency service and needs time to be set up.
As they have a limited number of volunteers, they have a waiting list. It can take 2 or 3 months to be allocated a volunteer, so it is advisable to apply for Volcare as soon as possible if you think you might need their service.
Address: Beach House, Beach Street, Herne Bay, CT6 5PT
Phone: 01227 749400
Crossroads - Aims to relieve stress on carers, to enable people with disabilities to live at home. Trained care support workers take over the carer's role to give the carer a short break.
Once a support worker is allocated to a person, visits are normally on the same day and time each week for 3 to 4 hours per visit.
Waiting time to be allocated a support worker is 3 to 4 months, so early application is advisable.
Contact details
East Kent (Canterbury & Coastal, Thanet, Swale, Sheppey )
Beach House, Beach Street
Herne Bay CT6 5PT tel/fax: 01227 742030
eastkent@crossroads.org.uk
Age Concern - Providing meal services, a variety of activities, hearing aid service , bathing, chiropody or nail care, hairdressing, exercise sessions, benefits and insurance advice and at Margate a Citizens Advice clinic. Limited transport is available. Open Monday to Friday approximately 9.30am - 4.00pm
Margate Branch: 01843 223881
Broadstairs Branch: 01843 868018
Ramsgate Branch: 01843 592117
Herne Bay Branch: 01227 360494
Sandwich Branch: 01304 614237
Age Concern Carer's Lunch - For carers in Herne Bay, Whitstable, Canterbury and Faversham. Once a month lunch normally followed by a speaker at the Hazell Neville Centre, Herne Bay. Contact Julie on 01227 360220 for further details
Citizen's Rights for Older People (CROP) - Free, confidential advisory service helping Canterbury, Dover and Thanet branch: based at Watling Chambers, 18-19 Watling Street, Canterbury. CANDID (Counselling and Diagnosis In Dementia Research Group) Provides information and support for people with dementia and their families - there is an answer machine available - leave a message if necessary Carers Contact - Carers Counsel and Care - Provides a free and confidential advice to older people and their carers. There are helpful fact sheets on a range of topics available. Email - advice@counselandcare.org.uk Help The Aged - Provides information and advice on a wide range of topics including benefits. NHS Direct - NHS General health information telephone 24 hour helpline 08454647 Rethink- East Thanet - 66a Coastal - Social Services 01843 860000 - Provide information about a wide range of services, including home care services, meals on wheels, day care, respite care, residential care. When making a referral for your self or a loved one ask for the Duty Care Manager. Please note financial circumstances will be taken into consideration when assessing access to services. You can request a Carers Assessment You can also ask your GP / Consultant to refer you. Patient Information and Learning service - PALS Thanet User Committee - A forum for people who use local mental health services to share their experiences and views about the service. Ideas discussed in the group are fed into a planning and monitoring processes for the services. For more information contact Nick Dent - User Involvement and Empowerment Manager on 01227 812370 For younger adults contact Maggie Gallant at FURST, 66a VITALISE - Charity providing respite breaks for disabled people and carers. Respite centres in Contact - 0845 345 1972 Mental Health Matters Helpline - Out of hour's confidential emotional support for Service Users and Carers. Telephone - 0800 107 0160 open 1700 till Admiral Nurses - The service was initially set up 17 years ago. Admiral Nurses are named after a gentleman nick named "Admiral Joe". His real name was Joseph Levy. His family set up and actively support the charity For Dementia (Formerly the Dementia Relief Trust ) There are now 65 Admiral Nurses in the Jackie Tuppen - Admiral Nurse Thanet & Sandwich An Admiral Nurse is a qualified Mental Health Nurse. The Carer of a person with Dementia is the Admiral Nurses client. The Admiral Nurse offers pre/post diagnostic advice, information and support (emotional and practical) to Carers. Examples of interventions are; loss/grief and bereavement work, solution focused approach, reflection, health promotion, education (types of Dementia, eating drinking etc) Admiral Nurses also have a supportive Educative role with the wider multidisciplinary teams. They develop carer support networks - support groups, cafes, surgeries (clinics) and support other organizations (voluntary, Nursing/Residential Homes) in training and education. Criteria for referral are - that the person with dementia must live in the area served by the Admiral Nurse and the Carer must have agreed to the referral. For the service in Thanet "clinics" have been agreed with all the local Age Concern Day Centres. This allows a carer to meet informally in a relaxed atmosphere to talk about any concerns that they have about the person they are caring for and also to talk about how they are coping and what support would be helpful to them. A carer can remain in contact with an Admiral Nurse by telephone or can have meetings/visits as needed. An Admiral Nurse is available to the Carer for the whole "journey" that is from pre/post diagnosis to end of life. Clinics in Thanet are: 3/3, 7/4 Broadstairs Age Concern 1000 - 1200 Tel: 01843 868018 8/3, 15/4 23/2, 15/3, 22/4 Ramsgate Age Concern 1000 - 1200 Tel: 01843 592117 25/2, 31/3, 29/4
Phone 01227 789 777. 
Admiral Nurses Direct - Telephone information and support line for family carers, people with dementia and professionals.
Tel. 0845 257 9406
The service is available on:
| Tuesday | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm | |
| Thursday | 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm |
At other times, callers can leave a message and an Admiral Nurse will call back.
The service is also available by email: direct@fordementia.org.uk
Independentage - A national charity which helps older people in need by providing an extra income for life, grants for emergencies, mobility equipment, clothing and household linen, nursing and residential care and friendship through a network of volunteer visitors. Priority is given to those people who have already given something to the community which is usually by way of voluntary work they have undertaken or caring responsibilities etc. Contact details can be found on their website, or phone 020 7605 4200.
Thanet Senior Citizen's Forum - The objectives of Thanet Senior Citizens' Forum are:
- To promote the welfare and interests of older people within Thanet District
- Provide a platform where matters of concern to older people can be raised and policies developed.
- To act as an umbrella organisation in making representation to statutory sector organisations, local MPs, voluntary sector organisations, government and local and national business
- To Exchange information and advice with organisations providing services for older people within the district of Thanet, co-operating with but independent of such organisations, in furtherance of the objectives or similar purposes.
- Combat ageism and promote a positive image of older people regardless of colour, belief or gender
- Be a campaigning but democratic, non-sectarian, non party political organisation.
Contact Barry Coppock on 01843 864487 for further information.
Dementia Centre-South East - Website for the Dementia Centre at Canterbury Christ Church University. Contains information and links to websites.