Support for dementia carers in County Durham as new platform launches

Vital new online tool provides clear, personalised guidance and practical help to those navigating life with dementia.

This week marks Carers Week and the launch of a new web platform created to
support people living with dementia and those who care for them. 
Developed using lived experience and extensive research, the platform fills a gap in
user-friendly online support, with a highly personalised and empowering approach.
As local support services continue to decline thanks to cash-strapped council
cutbacks - and in a rapidly evolving digital landscape - researching this distressing
subject online is becoming more and more essential. DementiaNet is heavily focused
on simplicity and clarity, to minimise the triggers and overwhelm of searching for
information to get affairs in order.  

It also offers a secure digital vault, downloadable planning tools and a step-by-step
dashboard to help people tackle things like a care plan - one manageable task at a
time.

DementiaNet was created following direct, personal experience of the dementia
journey by two of its three co-founders, Brian Schur and Hugh McGouran. Both have
witnessed firsthand the challenges that come with navigating the overwhelming
information and practical tasks involved.

Brian struggled when his mother-in-law was diagnosed in 2022: “Just finding out
what to do was impossible,” he said. “I’ve worked in the digital world for more than
30 years and despite being savvy online, I still found it a nightmare to do. We were
given two leaflets from the GP and basically were sent away.” 

Hugh, who is chair of a dementia charity, said: “There’s an overwhelming
amount of information out there, however, much of it is generic and it’s hard to
navigate without being sent down a rabbit hole of links, which lead to hundreds
of other results that are not relevant to you at that point. This makes the search
for information very upsetting, triggering and often unproductive.  

“Overwhelm is immobilising for people in this situation, many of whom are
already highly stressed and frightened, whether they are looking for
themselves or someone they care for,” he said. DementiaNet is uniquely
designed to offer a more tailored experience; relevant information to help
people at the earliest point of their journey to achieve the best sense of control
they can - that’s been missing for far too long.”

DementiaNet offers a digital vault for securely storing personal information, care
plans and important documents, alongside step-by-step guidance tailored to the user
whether they have a diagnosis, suspect dementia, or are caring for someone else.
The platform’s accessibility tools cater to users with visual impairments, ADHD and
other needs.

With its planner, document store and unique user design, DementiaNet adapts to
users' specific situations — whether they’re worried about symptoms, have just
received a diagnosis, or are supporting someone with dementia. As the platform
grows, it will expand to serve more groups, such as younger carers.

In addition to planning and legal tools, DementiaNet creators are also hoping to
tackle the emotional and social isolation many people experience, with an online
forum: “We know online communities can be saviours to people in shared
experiences, so we’ve built a live conversation area for people to ask questions and
help each other,” said Hugh, “Our aim is to build that community overtime, so there’s
always somewhere people can go to share and support each other, day or night.” 
A built-in search tool also connects users with relevant activities in their local area,
which dementia support groups can use to add their event or gathering to. This also
has further development plans.

“Our objective is, and will always be, DementiaNet is to be a calm, informative place
where people can find answers as easily as possible, get their affairs in order in a
step-by-step, manageable way and connect with others,” Hugh adds.
Research shows widespread frustration and dissatisfaction with online dementia
resources. A 2024 DementiaNet survey found that 88% of respondents felt unhappy
or unsatisfied with existing general dementia-related information and 36% were
dissatisfied with government support information. 

Fewer than one in three felt “fairly satisfied” with the help they found. 
The number of people living with dementia in the UK is expected to rise to 1.4 million
by 2040, and with the NHS estimating that 1 in 3 people will care for someone with
dementia at some point in their lives. The aim is to grow and develop DementiaNet
to be the place people can go to get everything they need to manage life with
dementia. 

To browse or register go to dementianet.com