Dementia Awareness Week 17-22 May 2022
Dementia Awareness Week 17-22 May
Every year, the Alzheimer’s Society run a campaign to raise awareness of dementia and encourage people to take action. Dementia Awareness Week this year the focus is on diagnosis.
Due to a drop in diagnosis, the Alzheimer’s society carried out some research to identify the barriers and benefits of getting a diagnosis. They found that denial and a delay in referral times to speak to specialists played a big part in the drop, as did the misconception that ‘memory loss is just part of getting old’
In the UK, there are about 800,000 people with dementia; it is estimated that around 400,000 people have dementia but do not know it. By raising awareness about this condition, it is hoped that more people will be diagnosed earlier, giving more time for them to come to terms with future symptoms.
The Alzheimer’s Society want to encourage those who might be living with, or close to someone who might be living with undiagnosed dementia to:
- be able to understand and recognise potential dementia symptoms
- go to them for guidance and support
- feel empowered to take the next step
- improve the diagnosis process for both them and healthcare professionals.
What is dementia?
Dementia is the broad term used to describe several different conditions affecting the brain. Some of the most common types of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Mixed Dementia and Lewy body Dementia. You can find out more about each of these here.
The warning signs of dementia
These are some of the early symptoms that may appear before a diagnosis of dementia:
- Memory loss usually involving short-term memory. A person with dementia may be able to remember events that took place years ago, but not what they had for breakfast.
- Difficulty concentrating on tasks such as following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may take much longer to do things than they did before.
- Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word. They may also stop in the middle of a sentence and not know how to continue.
- Being confused about time and place or get easily upset if their usual daily routine is changed, or if they find themselves in unfamiliar situations
- Mood changes – they may seem more fearful or anxious than they were before.
- Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping
- Listlessness is a common sign in early dementia. A person with dementia may lose interest in activities they used to enjoy or may not want to go out anymore. They may also lose interest in spending time with friends and family, and they may seem emotionally flat.
What to do if you are worried about dementia
If you’re worried about your memory, or think you may have dementia, it’s a good idea to see a GP.
If you’re worried about someone else’s memory problems, encourage them to make an appointment with a GP and perhaps suggest that you go with them.
There are many different conditions that can mimic the early signs of dementia including: infections, delirium, vitamin deficiency, depression, anxiety, diabetes. These conditions are treatable, so it is important to visit a GP for tests to identify and manage these conditions. Once these conditions have been ruled out and there are still concerns about the ongoing changes then the GP may refer to the specialist memory assessment team for further tests.
An early diagnosis of dementia can help the person and their family to understand what form of dementia they have, why the changes they are experiencing are happening, and what they can do to manage them. It also enables the person and their family to have conversations about how to live as well as possible with the diagnosis and to plan for the future.
What if you or your loved one is diagnosed with dementia?
With the right help and support, many people can and do live well with dementia for several years.
Many communities are now dementia friendly. For example, cinemas put on dementia-friendly screenings of the latest films, and leisure centres run dementia-friendly swimming sessions as well as other activities.
For tips on caring with someone with dementia, visit https://www.alzheimers.gov/life-with-dementia/tips-caregivers
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