Standing Side by Side to Find a Match for People with Dementia this Valentines Day

Alzheimer’s Society has launched a new matching service that will enable volunteers to connect to people with dementia over shared hobbies and interests.

Side by Side is an innovative matching service that has been launched by the charity this valentines day. It highlights a totally new approach to volunteering. A third of people with dementia lose friends after their diagnosis, and nearly two thirds who live on their own feel lonely. It is vital that those affected are able to remain part of their community and continue to participate in past-times and activities they enjoy. By taking part in activities with the support of a volunteer with similar interests, they can continue with their hobbies – or even find new ones – and build new friendships.

From joining a local club, going to football matches or just heading out for a stroll together in the park, the app pairs up people with dementia and volunteers with shared interests.

Side by Side has got off to a promising start. There are almost 2,000 people with dementia waiting to be paired up and the charity is calling for more volunteers. The programme is flexibly designed so that almost anyone can volunteer, meeting up can be easily arranged around work and family commitments.

Home Care Preferred is delighted to see such an app on offer as we fully support and believe in the ethos of matching companions for the elderly via shared hobbies and interests. Our clients and their Support Assistants are carefully matched so their personalities, opinions and hobbies compliment each other, making for strong, meaningful relationships that both parties thrive from.

Information about Side by Side provided by Kathryn Smith – Director of Operations, Alzheimer’s Society and the Guardian.