New dementia clinics in Nationwide branches are seeing more than seven in ten appointments booked by women. The significant gender disparity was highlighted as Nationwide marks over 470 booked appointments following a successful pilot in July.

Nationwide Fairer Futures1 – a programme tackling youth homelessness, families living in poverty and people living with dementia – has seen an encouraging uptake of the clinics which are run in partnership with Dementia UK by their expert Admiral Nurses. Nationwide is hosting clinics in 200 of its branches across the UK.

Dementia is the country’s leading cause of death2, and with a UCL study highlighting that 1.7 million people3 could be diagnosed with dementia in the UK by 2024, demand for support will grow.

Since the pilot’s launch, northern regions have seen the highest demand (210 appointments), followed by central England (136 appointments) and southern regions (127 appointments). As more Nationwide dementia clinics are rolled out across the UK, Britain’s largest building society expects usage to increase.

See videos from ex-newsreader John Suchet and young carer Lizzie Perry, who separately used Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses.

The gender disparity reinforces the fact women disproportionately bear caregiving responsibilities in the UK.

According to Carers UK, women make up 59 per cent of unpaid carers4. This fact has been reflected by those seeking support from Nationwide’s specialist dementia clinics with 70 per cent of appointments have been made by daughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, and wives, compared to less than one in five (19%) made by husbands, sons and sons-in-law. The remaining 11 per cent were booked by other relationships, data from Dementia UK shows.

This gender imbalance can have significant consequences as women are often forced to leave the workforce or reduce their hours to care for loved ones, which can result in long-term financial strain.

To better understand the impact dementia has, Nationwide surveyed over 5005 people who care for loved ones with the condition. The survey highlights financial pressures experienced by carers, with 59 per cent expressing concerns about how the condition will impact their finances.

These worries are exacerbated by rising care costs, with 50 per cent of carers worried about the cost of residential care, while 18 per cent say they are cutting back on utilities like internet or subscription services and nearly a fifth (17%) are reducing spending on essentials like groceries and household essentials.