NHS South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group is supporting Dementia Awareness Week, which runs from Monday (May 17) to Sunday, May 23.
Dementia is arguably the biggest health crisis facing the UK and there are currently around 850,000 people diagnosed with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to one million by 2025.
In Lincolnshire, it is estimated that 10,502 people are currently living with dementia, with 62 per cent of those without a formal diagnosis. The total number of people in the county living with dementia is expected to reach 15,047 by 2021.
It is estimated 21,000,000 people in England have a close friend or family member with dementia – because they live with or care for someone who has dementia.
Dr Kevin Hill, South Lincolnshire CCG GP, said: “One in three of us over the age of 65 will develop dementia, an incredibly high statistic. But people with dementia can live well, and it is the responsibility of the rest of the community to help them do so.
“It is only by personally understanding the issues that people living with dementia face, can we fully appreciate the challenges they have to overcome on a day-to-day basis. We all must play a role in helping to create a dementia-friendly society.”
Anyone worried that they, or someone close to them, may have dementia, can speak to the Alzheimer’s Society by calling on 0300 222 11 22.
In Lincolnshire there are a number of Dementia Cafes which are informal social group meetings for people with dementia, their families and carers. More information about where they meet and the frequency can be found by visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk
Information on becoming a Dementia Friend can be found by visiting: www.dementiafriends.org.uk
The following may be some signs and symptoms of dementia.
• Struggling to remember recent events, although they can easily recall things that happened in the past
• Finding it hard to follow conversations or programmes on TV or recognise people well known to them.
• Frequently forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects
• Frequently misplacing things in unusual places or being unable to locate things.
• Difficulty recalling things they have heard, seen or read (this just repeats the same as the things above really!)
• Repeating themselves or losing the thread of what they are saying
• Having difficulty with common daily tasks either around or managing the home for example
• Changes in behaviour out of keeping with their personality
• Having problems thinking and reasoning, especially solving problems
• Feeling anxious, depressed for no apparent reason, or becoming more socially withdrawn
• Confusing left and right*
• Getting lost when driving in familiar surroundings*
• Wrong interpretation of route signage at roundabouts*
*The final three are visuo-spacial perception problems which dementia consultants recognise as being as important as forgetfulness for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or anyone with suspected frontal lobe or Lewy Body dementia.
