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South London researcher praises Join Dementia Research service on its birthday

  • 24 February 2022
  • 2 min read

A south London researcher has praised an “invaluable” online service on its birthday for bringing people together on a mission to fight back against dementia.

The NIHR’s Join Dementia Research service, which was set up seven years ago today, is a service where people can register their interest in taking part in vital dementia research, either online or over the phone.

Lesley Williamson, a PhD Clinical Training Fellow at King’s College London, spoke about how Join Dementia Research has benefited her research study ‘Emergency department attendance and the influence of health and social care use by people with dementia’. Volunteers are interviewed online and by telephone about their views and experience of using emergency services since their dementia diagnosis. Lesley said:

“It is a moral imperative that high-quality research is undertaken to improve the lives of those affected by dementia. The Join Dementia Research service has been an invaluable resource in helping us to reach people both quickly and easily.

“This is my first time using Join Dementia Research and I would definitely use it again for future research projects because of its ease of use, UK-wide coverage and overall responsiveness. I am very thankful for the support, advice and guidance I have received and for being given the opportunity to access such an essential resource. I’d also like to wish everyone working on the Join Dementia Research service a very happy birthday!

“Our study is going really well, and we hope that improved understanding of the reasons driving attendance of people with dementia to NHS emergency departments will lead to better interventions, ensuring care is delivered at the right time, in the right place and in the best possible way for the person living with dementia.”

Over 50,000 volunteers have registered their interest in being directly contacted by researchers about taking part in dementia research since Join Dementia Research was created back in 2015.

Dementia is a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of brain function. It is estimated that more than 850,000 people are living with the condition in the UK.

CRN South London’s Join Dementia Research Lead Amy McLachlan said: “I am very proud to see Join Dementia Research celebrate its seventh birthday, and our Network is so grateful to everyone who has registered to take part in NIHR-supported dementia research.

“However, there is still more work to do as we need even more people to register their interest in dementia research so that researchers can develop new treatments and help everyone to understand how best to care for people living with this condition.”

Anyone over the age of 18 can sign up to Join Dementia Research.

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