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1 in 3 people in the UK living with dementia do not have a diagnosis

 

Dementia Action Week was celebrated last week, calling to the Government and NHS to prioritise dementia in policy and decision making

There are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia but, as research shows, 1 in 3 people living with dementia do not have a diagnosis. Dementia mainly affects people over the age of 65. The likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly with age. One in 14 people over the age of 65 has dementia. This figure rises to 1 in 6 for those over 80 years of age.

Dementia can also affect younger people. It is often called early onset dementia. About 1 in 20 people with dementia are under the age of 65. In the UK there are over 42,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia. Dementia is also more common among women than men. Discover some of the activities we do to help our residents with dementia in this article.

To raise awareness of the disease, Dementia Action Week was held last week. This year’s aim was to “call on the Government and the National Health Service to prioritise dementia in policy and decision making”.

 

What is the main cause that contributes the appearance of this disease?

There are no clear rules that determine 100% why some people get dementia and others don’t. It may depend on a combination of age, genes, lifestyle and other health conditions. The onset of dementia can be caused by many factors; age, genes, lifestyle and other health conditions.
Despite what you may believe, most types of dementia are not inherited. It is true, however, that there are some genes that cause dementia if they are passed on from parents to children, known as “family” genes. However, familial genes are rare.

There are some factors that can increase the chances of developing dementia, including: high blood pressure, alcohol abuse, smoking, an unhealthy diet, hearing loss or physical inactivity. In this previous post we told you about all the benefits that movement can bring to your physical and mental health.

Common early symptoms of dementia

As we have already mentioned in this post, there are different causes that can lead to dementia. But today we share with you some of the most common symptoms.
It is also important to remember that early diagnosis has many benefits in treatment. So anyone who has regular problems with their memory or thinking should be assessed by a healthcare professional. This gives the person an explanation of their symptoms, gives them access to treatment, advice and support, and allows them to plan for the future.It is important to remember that dementia is not a disease in itself. It is a set of symptoms that result from brain damage caused by different diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
These symptoms vary depending on the part of the brain that is damaged. Different types of dementia can affect people differently, and everyone will experience symptoms in their own way. However, there are some common early symptoms that may appear some time before the diagnosis of dementia. These include

  • memory loss
  • difficulty concentrating
  • difficulty performing everyday tasks
  • difficulty following a conversation or finding the right words
  • confusion about time and place
  • mood swings

These symptoms are usually mild and may worsen very gradually. It is often called “mild cognitive impairment” (MCI), as the symptoms are not severe enough to be diagnosed as dementia.

Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. That is why it is important to talk to a GP as soon as possible if you are concerned about memory problems or other symptoms.