Nationwide will offer dementia nursing clinics at more than 200 branches to help its customers.
The building society plans to help more than 100,000 people through a new partnership with charity Dementia UK.
The specialists, known as “Admiral Nurses,” will provide health and financial advice both in person at branches and by phone.
Dementia is a general term for a variety of conditions that cause brain function to deteriorate.
One in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK has the syndrome and it is expected to cost the British economy £90 billion a year by 2040.
Nationwide will offer dementia nursing clinics at more than 200 branches to help its customers (file image)
Debbie Crosbie, the bank’s chief executive, said: “Nationwide wants to help people live their best life for as long as possible. By working with Dementia UK to fund more Admiral Nurses and convert our branches into dementia clinics, we are helping to tackle the country’s biggest killer.”
And Dr Hilda Hayo, Admiral’s chief nurse and chief executive of Dementia UK, said the number of people with the condition in the UK will exceed one million next year.
Community outreach is “crucial” as the charity seeks to “ensure that no one faces dementia alone,” she added.
One in 11 people over the age of 65 in the UK has the syndrome and it is expected to cost the British economy £90bn a year by 2040 (file image)
Nationwide, which has more than 17 million customers, will also offer free appointments to family members and carers of people with dementia.
And its clinics will also be available to people who are not Nationwide customers.
The news comes at a time of growing concerns over the closure of bank branches on high streets across the country.
Since 2015, around 6,000 branches of banks and building societies have closed, according to Which?
The specialists, known as “Admiral’s nurses,” will provide health and financial advice both in person at branches and by phone (file image)
This is a problem for many seniors who have difficulty banking online.
Financial watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has introduced new rules to ensure communities can access cash.
Under the safeguards, banks and building societies must decide whether local communities lack access to cash services, including branches and ATMs.
If they find “significant gaps,” then they must provide additional services.
