SUPPORT for people with dementia in Clydebank has been strengthened after a leading charity announced a new online platform for patients and carers.

Alzheimer Scotland, which last week celebrated its 40th year, will launch the pioneering virtual resource centre to provide a digital lifeline for people with the disease, as well as those looking after them.

The charity’s 21 physical resource centres, including its nearby Clydebank facility, remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic, with weekly meetings and activities being held online since March.

The first of its kind in the UK, the virtual resource centre will bring all of the charity’s resources and expertise online, making them permanently accessible to people living with dementia, as well as carers and relatives.

A digital alternative to the charity’s current bricks and mortar dementia resource centres, the online hub will provide a vital means of support to those who may be unable to travel, either due to distance, mobility or the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Whilst the project has been on the radar for many months, Alzheimer Scotland deliberately accelerated the development of the virtual resource centre due to coronavirus, as a means to provide people living with dementia easy access to the help they need.

Alzheimer Scotland chief executive, Henry Simmons, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has had an extreme impact on people living with dementia, as well as carers and loved ones, and we have reacted quickly to find new ways of supporting people.

“It is clear that there is urgent need and demand for a digital resource which can be accessed quickly and easily now and in the future.

“Our virtual resource centre is a pivotal step forward in making our support accessible to a broader section of the population while simultaneously future-proofing our services, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of delivering essential support - regardless of challenges in our physical environment.”

The virtual resource centre is currently under construction and Alzheimer Scotland is calling on the public to back the rest of the build by supporting the ‘virtual brick appeal’, urging people to buy a virtual brick and help raise the vital funds required for the completion of the digital centre, one brick at a time.

As part of their 40th year celebrations, the charity is also launching three new digital innovations, including their very own app, the redesign of their Purple Alert app, which helps to find people with dementia if they go missing, and a new service called ADAM (About Digital and Me) which will assist people to identify the technologies that will help them to live well at home and stay connected.

Kevin Black, locality leader at Alzheimer Scotland’s West Dunbartonshire Dementia Resource Centre, said: “Alongside these platforms, as we have been throughout lockdown, our team continues to be here for anyone across West Dunbartonshire who is worried about dementia, is living with dementia themselves or is supporting someone with dementia.

“Whether over the phone or online people can speak with our West Dunbartonshire team, receive information and advice, join in our variety of online groups or simply speak to someone who understands.”

For more information visit alzscot.org. If you would like to speak to someone about dementia or find out more about the local support available, contact West Dunbartonshire Dementia Resource Centre at 0141 410 5306 or call the 24-hour freephone dementia helpline on 0808 808 3000.