1 in 3 people born in the UK today will be diagnosed with dementia in their lifetime. That’s a staggering statistic, isn’t it? By 2040, it’s estimated that 1.4 million people in the UK will have been diagnosed. And it’s probably already true that most people know of someone who has been diagnosed with dementia. It’s a growing problem, and one that provides challenges for our health and social care teams as well as the families of those learning to cope with it.
With that in mind, it’s probably time that we all learnt a bit more about it. It was great to have our own Dementia Friend Ambassador, Val Down, on hand to give us a taster at an NCF meeting. These are the notes from her presentation, with lots of useful information and links to find out more below.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a term for a number of similar brain conditions that can cause memory loss, thinking problems and difficulty with daily tasks. Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia and Frontotemporal dementia are just three of the more commonly known types. Dementia is not a normal part of getting old and can affect people at any age; Val shared an example of a 13-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with it.
Statistically, it is more common in older people, partly because we have a large older population. All the types of dementia are ‘progressive’, that is, they get worse over time but every ‘dementia journey’ is different. Some people can live well for years after diagnosis but others will require additional support much more quickly.
What causes dementia?
Dementia could start for a number of reasons: it could be because of a (non-contagious) disease in the brain or because of a brain injury, such as a stroke. There is much still be learnt about the causes; for example, not all people who have a stroke will get dementia but it does increase the risk.
A number of factors have been identified which could put people at risk of developing dementia. These include lifestyle factors (such as smoking, obesity or excessive alcohol intake), health conditions (such a high blood pressure or diabetes) and social isolation. As you would expect, reducing these risk factors by eating healthily, having an active lifestyle and being socially active can also help to reduce the chance of developing dementia. But it’s still relatively early days in research terms and there is – currently – no cure.
What are the symptoms of dementia?
Because dementia changes over time and because it’s causes can be different for different people, there isn’t a categoric list of symptoms, although there are some which are more common. It’s also true that many of the symptoms, particularly at the early stages, could also just be what someone is like, rather than a sign that they have dementia. As Val said “We all go upstairs sometimes and forget what we went up there for. It’s quite normal for busy people to forget things sometimes!”
Symptoms in the earlier stages might include:
- Forgetting recent events, names, and faces or being confused about times or places;
- Difficulty finding the right words or misunderstanding what is being seen or said;
- Mood changes, difficulty controlling emotions or personality or behavioural changes;
- Apathy and withdrawal or depression.
Later symptoms might include:
- Aggressive behaviour or difficulty controlling their temper;
- Delusions, hallucinations, misperceptions or misidentifications;
- Asking questions repetitively;
- Misplacing common items, such as glasses or keys, or leaving items in unusual places.
Why do we need Dementia Friends?
One of the main roles of the Dementia Friends initiative is to share awareness and understanding of the many symptoms of dementia as well as helping people to understand how they can offer support.
Val used a couple of great examples that we might all come across. Many shops have a large, often black or dark doormat at their entrance. To a person with dementia, their perception issues might mean this mat simply looks like a large hole – and why would they step into that? Perhaps the person in front of us in the queue at the till is looking at the coins in their hand, not understanding what they are. To someone whose memory is living in a pre-decimalised world, today’s coins might look like a foreign currency. How confusing!
If we are all aware of these possible challenges we can – at least – offer our patience and understanding to the individuals concerned but we may very well be able to offer some help, too.
How to become a Dementia Friend?
A Dementia Friend free Information Sessions last just 45-60 minutes and aims to provide more information for individuals, colleagues and businesses to learn more about becoming dementia friendly. The sessions are free, delivered by lovely volunteer Ambassadors (like Val!) and can be in-person or online. Big or small, every action counts!
To find an Information Session in our area, search on the Dementia Friends website here or some upcoming dates that Val is running are below. If you can’t do these or would like to set up a specific session for your organisation, you can email Val here.
- 5th March 2025, 3.30pm in Eastleigh (SO50 9DG)
- 17th March, 2pm in Eastleigh (SO50 7AP)
- 26th March, 2.30pm in Southampton (SO18 3HW)
- 9th June, 2pm in Eastleigh (SO50 7AP)