Dementia UK Launches British Sign Language Support Service

Specialist dementia nursing charity, Dementia UK, has announced a new service to support people from the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community who are living with dementia.

The new service is operated in partnership with Sign Solutions and offers free Virtual clinics with a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter and specialist dementia Admiral Nurse. Appointments will take place on the first Tuesday of every month and can be booked online.

The charity’s free Helpline will also have a BSL interpreter available.

People from the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community often face significant barriers when accessing support for dementia. When information and communication is not accessible, people from this community are more likely to be excluded from essential conversations about their symptoms, their care, and their wellbeing. Dementia UK’s BSL service aims to combat these challenges.

Admiral Nurse Jayne Crake will be leading the BSL pilot service. Jayne has over two decades of experience as a Registered Mental Health Nurse, supporting people living with dementia and the families who care for them.

Admiral Nurses are specialist dementia nurses who are continually supported and developed by Dementia UK, to provide life-changing advice and support to anyone affected by dementia, whenever it’s needed. They work on the free national Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline, in face-to-face and virtual clinics, and in the community, in GP practices, hospitals, and care homes.

One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime – either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, not only for the person with dementia, but also for the people caring for them, and their wider family and friends.

Admiral Nurse, Jayne Crake, said: “The BSL service ensures that d/Deaf people and their families can receive specialist dementia support in a way that is fully accessible, culturally appropriate, and respectful of their identity.

“I am incredibly proud to be leading a service that removes barriers to vital support and reflects everything I have stood for throughout my career: promoting dignity, inclusion, and equality and ensuring that every family affected by dementia can access the support they deserve.”