The nationwide Dementia Action Week takes place this year between 13th and 19th May. In Enfield the organisations working together in the Enfield Dementia Network are running help and awareness raising events throughout the week, suitable not just for patients and their families and friends, but for everyone anxious to reduce the negative impacts of this medical condition.
What is Dementia Action Week?
Dementia Action Week is an awareness raising campaign. Each year, Alzheimer's Society works with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to act on dementia.
This year the focus is on dementia diagnosis and calling on the Government and the NHS to prioritise dementia in policy and decision making.
New research commissioned by the Alzheimers Society shows that dementia has a huge impact on the UK economy and on individuals and families:
- The cost of dementia is £42 billion per year and is set to rise to £90 billion by 2040. The majority (63%) of this cost is being shouldered by people living with dementia and their families. As dementia progresses, total costs increase from £29,000 per year for mild dementia to £81,000 for severe dementia.
- Almost one million people are living with dementia, but it is estimated that a third of people in England and Northern Ireland haven’t received a diagnosis and that 1 in 2 people in Wales haven’t.
- Spending on diagnosis makes up less than 1.4% of total health care expenditure. The majority of costs come from social care (40%) and unpaid care (50%).
- The prevalence of dementia is set to increase 43% by 2040, with the biggest increases in Northern Ireland (51%) and London (53%).
- The need for unpaid care will grow significantly by 2040 with 43% more people expected to require unpaid care. Currently a third of unpaid carers spend more than 100 hours caring per week, and 16% have given up work to care.
