The Bank of Scotland has been named the country’s first official ‘Dementia Friendly Bank’, after it took steps to raise dementia awareness amongst staff. Working in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, the bank is training staff to provide a better level of customer service to people with dementia, their carers and their families. The on-going initiative will continue to improve practices in the future.
Dementia Friendly Bank stickers will be displayed in local Bank of Scotland windows, highlighting the bank’s involvement with the scheme. The Managing Director of Bank of Scotland Community Bank commented, ‘Bank of Scotland wants to lead the way to help customers affected by dementia.’
Banking can be incredibly difficult for those with dementia, with many banks unable to provide support and assistance. When finances are unable to be controlled due to illness such as dementia, this not only impacts the individual with the condition, it can also lead to arguments with family and problems with carers.
This is another step towards making communities more dementia friendly. The Alzheimer’s Society is already working on a 5-year strategy to create dementia friendly communities across the UK, allowing those with dementia to be more independent and have more control over their lives. With better support and more awareness of the condition, more dementia sufferers could benefit from home care services, allowing them to be cared for in familiar surroundings
