Dementia is becoming a major problem in the UK
First team players Bobby Grant, Conor McLaughlin, David Ball and Jimmy Ryan visited dementia patients at Clifton Hospital on Thursday afternoon.Dementia is becoming a major problem in the UK, with an increasing number of sufferers not receiving the diagnosis they need in order to access suitable healthcare provision.
Nationally, it is estimated that only around 40% of people with dementia receive a diagnosis at an early stage.
This problem is worse amongst the male population as generally men are much less likely to seek medical attention when they have health concerns.
Discussing the visit, Director of Community Matt Hilton, said: “A lot of the work we do here is focused around young people, and the elderly are a section that sometimes become a little neglected in the community.
“Assistant manager Chris Lucketti took four players to the hospital to meet patients suffering from dementia which is such a prevalent illness in society.
“They went there to talk to the patients to kind of reminisce about old times and their lives, and about football and life in general.
“It was a fresh face for the patients as it was someone different coming in to visit them. They were able to form really good relationships.
“It’s great for the hospital too to understand that a football club is a big part of the community, and cares about all sections of individuals whether young or old.”