Dementia Action Week
This May, we will be proud to support Dementia Action Week, an awareness campaign led by the Alzheimer’s Society and supported by organisations across the UK. Dementia Action Week aims to encourage people to take action on dementia, helping to improve the lives of those affected by the condition.
The 2025 campaign will highlight the crucial role of timely and accurate dementia diagnoses. Receiving a diagnosis is a vital step for individuals living with dementia, as it enables them to access essential care, treatment, and support services.
Shockingly, up to one in two people living with dementia in Wales, do not currently have a formal diagnosis. Despite ninety-one percent of those affected recognising the significant benefits of receiving one.
Dementia is not a single disease but a term used to describe a group of symptoms caused by different diseases that damage the brain. These symptoms progressively worsen over time and can include memory loss, confusion and difficulty with daily tasks, problems with language and understanding, and changes in behaviour. Dementia is progressive, meaning that symptoms may start off mild but become more severe over time. There are various types of dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common, followed by vascular dementia.
Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. It occurs when diseases damage the nerve cells in the brain, disrupting the messages that nerve cells send to different parts of the brain and body. As more nerve cells are damaged, brain function declines. Many diseases can cause dementia, each affecting the brain differently and resulting in various types of dementia. Understanding these causes can help us better support individuals living with the condition.
Currently, around nine hundred thousand people in the UK are living with dementia. Although it primarily affects individuals over the age of sixty-five, it can also impact younger people. One in fourteen people over sixty-five has dementia, and this increases to one in six for those over eighty. Dementia can also affect younger individuals, often referred to as young-onset dementia. Approximately one in twenty people with dementia are under sixty-five, with over seventy thousand eight hundred individuals in the UK living with this condition.
By supporting this year’s campaign, you can help raise awareness of the importance of timely and accurate dementia diagnoses. Early diagnosis can significantly improve the quality of life for people living with dementia and their families. For more information and to find out how you can get involved, click the campaign button below.