‘It’s not called getting old, it’s called getting ill’: Dementia Action Week has begun

Today marks the start of Dementia Action Week – an annual event in which charities and organisations across the UK raise awareness for those suffering with the disease.

Organised by the leading UK charity Alzheimer’s Society, this year’s theme is ‘dementia diagnosis’ as the number of people that are left to face the disease alone has skyrocketed.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 55 million people have dementia worldwide and every year this number increases by almost 10 million more cases. The disease can cause memory loss, difficulty concentrating, struggling to follow conversation, being confused and severe mood swings. As these symptoms will inevitably affect a person’s ability to continue with their daily routines, they should be entitled to as much help as possible, which begins with the first step of speaking to somebody about it.  

However, Alzheimer’s Society conducted their own online survey between 30^th March and 4^th April, which included 1,137 adults in Great Britain, and found that a third of Britons wait more than a month to discuss dementia concerns. The charity claims fear and confusion delays a discussion for 33% of those who think they or a loved one may have dementia, with just 15% mentioning their symptoms straight away.

Additionally, the survey also discovered that when asked if they were concerned that they or their loved one might be spoken down to or treated like a child after a diagnosis, 44% said it was a worry.

Of those who were reluctant to talk to others about symptoms, 64% said they thought their experiences were down to normal ageing, while a third said that they had delayed a discussion to avoid worrying others and 16% said they were worried about how it would affect their relationships.

Paul Reynolds, of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘Our research shows that one in three are waiting over a month to raise symptoms of dementia issues because of fear and confusion.’

‘One person develops dementia every three minutes [in the UK]. So that means by 2040, nearly 1.6 million people will be living with the condition,’ Paul said. ‘And our health and social care system relies on an early and accurate diagnosis so we can at least treat and support people in the best way.’

The charity’s campaign – ‘Its’ not called getting old, it’s called getting ill’ – encourages people to seek support in getting a diagnosis by using its online symptoms checklist and outlining the steps a person can take to speak to a health professional if they are concerned.

Dementia Action Week has begun this year following the news of two new drugs being found to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients. Lecanemab was found to reduce such a decline by 27% over 18 months in those in the early stages of the disease – suggesting how important it is to get an early diagnosis – while donanemab slowed progression of the condition by 36% over 18 months.

Whilst the new drugs have provided a positive outlook, they are not yet available in the UK and experts have cautioned it is not yet clear how big a difference they will made to patients, while their cost and side effects could also pose hurdles to their use.