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Services and social groups for patients and carers in St Helens.
Worried about your memory?
As we go through life we all notice some changes, sometimes it’s an odd ache or pain, our joints may be a little stiff, it takes us longer to do things than it used to and sometimes we notice changes with our memory.
This can be due to a variety of reasons but it is important to know that problems with memory are not a normal part of growing older and should always be checked out. It could be caused by feeling down, depressed or stressed but it’s worth getting checked out.
Dementia is the name given to a group of conditions that affect the way we think, our memory and sometimes our speech and perception. There are more than 800,000 people in the UK living with dementia, and probably a lot more that we don’t know about.
There are lots of sources of help and support. Treatment is available for some types and with the right support you can live well with dementia.
So please don’t keep worrying about your memory, get it checked out. Go to your GP or visit the Mersey Care website and search for ‘dementia’.
Admiral nursing service
Admiral nurses provide specialist dementia support working alongside people with dementia, and their families offering one to one support, expert guidance and practical solutions.
If you are a Pilkington beneficiary*, you can be referred to the service in St Helens Admiral Nurse Service by contacting the duty welfare officer on 0174 445 7900 or by email to enquiries
If you need to contact the Pilkington Family Trust funded admiral nurse or dementia support worker, they can be contacted on Tel: 0174 445 7922.
If you are not a Pilkington beneficiary, you can access support via the national telephone helpline run by Dementia UK: 0800 888 6678.
* A Pilkington beneficiary is someone who has worked for Pilkington’s for10 years, their spouses and children.
Charities
Alzheimer’s society
Tel: 0300 222 1122
Website
Dementia UK
Tel: 0800 888 6678
Website
Age UK
Offers an advisory service and peer group support.
Tel: 01744 752 644
Website
Eating aids
Adapted cutlery can sometimes be beneficial if patients are having dexterity problems. Coloured crockery can be more easily seen, and can make food more easily visible on the plate. Eating aids can be purchased from mobility stores or online, some examples are given below:
Ableworld St Helens
9 Eccleston Street
St Helens, WA10 2 PG
Tel: 01744 410 550
Email: info@ableworldsthelens.co.uk
Website
Neater Eater,Neater Drinker (self feeding aids)
Tel: 01298 238 823
Email: info@neater.co.uk
Website
Ready made meals
Preprepared ready meals can be helpful if you have difficulties cooking meals yourself.
Different companies can offer frozen meals, cooked meals with delivery and specialist diets. Some examples are given below:
Wiltshire Farm Foods
Tel: 0800 077 3100
Website
Pilkingtons Meal Service
If you are a Pilkington beneficiary they can offer a hot meal and/or frozen meal delivery service to the housebound.
Oak House Foods
Tel: 0333 370 3100
Website
Local Support Services
Hargreaves Dementia Trust
Shares information, advice and guidance and promotes the health, wellbeing and independence of people with dementia and their carers.
Tel: 07543 201 062
Website
Carers Trust
St Helens Carers Centre
31-35 Baldwin Street
St Helens, WA10 2RS
Tel: 01744 675 615
Email: info
Website
Pilkington Trust
Host a lunch once a month at Ruskin Lodge for Pilkington beneficiaries and their carers as well as a monthly afternoon tea once a month at the Living Well Centre in St Helens.
Community Dietetics
Nutrition Support Team
Whiston Primary Care Resource Centre
Old Colliery Road
Whiston, L35 3SX
Tel: 0151 290 4330
Email: Dietitian
Website
Other health professionals
Speech and language therapy St Helens
This service is accessed via health professional referral.
Tel: 0151 244 3383
Email: adult
Website
Information if you have been recommended a modified texture diet
Contact Cares
This is a service made up of different teams which includes falls team, careline, social care, nursing assessment, healthy living, reablement team, audiology and rehabilitation. You can self refer to Contact Cares.
Tel: 01744 676 767
Email: contactcares
Website
Other
House of memories (based in Liverpool museum) has been developed to support carers in sharing of memories with people living with dementia, improving communication and focussing on the person rather than the condition.
Tel: 0151 478 4240
Email: learning
Website
A house of memories app can be downloaded to a smartphone.
Our patients matter
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust listens and responds to patients and their carers to help improve the services we deliver.
If you have any comments,compliments or concerns you can speak with a member of staff or contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and Complaints Team.
Telephone: 0151 471 2377Freephone: 0800 328 2941Email: palsandcomplaints@merseycare.nhs.uk.
Mersey Care NHS Foundation TrustV7 Building, Kings Business Park, Prescot L34 1PJMay 2021
May 2021
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