Players and their families with concerns about memory loss and dementia are now getting help from RL Cares.
RUGBY League Cares is receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from retired players who are accessing the support offered by the charity’s partnership with Dementia UK.
Since May, appointments with a consultant Admiral Nurse for sport and dementia have been available to current and former professional players, plus family members who care for them, at clinics held on the first Wednesday of every month.
The appointments are free, confidential and take place in person, online or on the telephone, and provide an opportunity for players to access help, advice and information about all aspects of brain health.
The clinics have been made possible with donations to the RL Cares Brain Health Fund, which was established last year to support current and retired players. The fund has already seen players at every Super League club attend brain health workshops which give them access to the information they need to make informed decisions about their own brain health.
The driving forces behind the focus on brain health have been recent scientific developments in this important field, allied to an increasingly ageing population.
According to the Centre for Ageing Better, in the last 40 years, the number of people aged 50 and over has increased by over 6.8 million (a 47 per cent increase), and the number aged 65 and over has increased by over 3.5 million (up 52 per cent).
Over 10 million people are currently aged 65 and over, making up 18 per cent of the UK population.
The number of people aged 65-79 is predicted to increase by nearly a third to over 10 million in the next 40 years, while the number of people aged 80 and over – the fastest growing segment of the population – is set to more than double to over six million.
RL Cares Director of Wellbeing Steve McCormack said: “Our partnership with Dementia UK is enabling our current and former professional players to get the very best support and advice from Dementia UK and Admiral Nurses.
“From the very start of the fund we wanted to create a safe and confidential service for families to seek advice and support when they need it the most.
“We are excited by the partnership and feel it is adding a new dimension to the wellbeing provision that RL Cares provides to the sport’s most important stakeholders.
“The response so far has been tremendous and it’s great that players are reaching out to get the help they need”
After his recent consultation with Dementia UK Admiral Nurse Joe Costello (left), one former rugby league international forward said: “It took a bit of courage – and a bit of cajoling from my wife! – to admit I had an issue with my memory, and asking for help wasn’t an easy decision.
“After speaking to Joe, I feel a lot more confident about what I need to do to get support. Joe was great, he really understands his subject and explains things really clearly.
“I’m going to come back in a couple of months to see him again and I’m looking forward to it. I never took a backwards step when I was playing but I’m not afraid to admit that losing your memory is a little bit scary.
“It’s over 40 years since I retired from playing and the game has given me a great life. The work that Rugby League Cares does is brilliant, it’s good to know that you’ve not been forgotten and that they have your back.”
His experience in being reluctant to ask for help is not unusual, according to Costello: “I think some men struggle to open up to their family and friends and deny that they are experiencing any memory problems or cognitive impairment. They may worry about how a diagnosis will impact their life and how others may view them.
“Dementia can also cause problems in communication which can lead to withdrawal from family, friends, interests and social networks.
“Some men may not be used to visiting the GP and so it might be an unfamiliar – and sometimes daunting – experience.
“Asking for help may feel difficult for some men.
“Some men may have a more practical and pragmatic approach and see caring as their duty – but if they don’t recognise themselves as a carer, it can have implications on accessing support.
“Accepting their role as a carer is the trigger to being offered services like respite, which gives them more time to do activities which are meaningful to them.
“It may also enable them to access financial benefits, such as the Carer’s Allowance.
“Accessing support early is key, just so people have the opportunity to talk through how changing roles and relationships can affect them or find out ways of adjusting or coping with dementia in their lives.
“Dementia is complex, so it’s important to receive expert advice and support on the condition and how to manage it. It’s ok to ask for help and it doesn’t mean that it is a sign of weakness or that you’re a failure.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 498 (July 2024)
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