Dementia remains one of the most critical health and social
care challenges facing the UK and other European countries. However, recent
news in the world of dementia and Alzheimer’s suggests that dementia levels in
the Western Europe countries, including the UK, are stabilising. A Study shows
that the number of people over 65 with dementia has dropped by 22% in the UK
and it also dropped by 43% in men in a study taken in Zaragoza, Spain. It
appears that two key reasons for optimism in the treatment of Dementia are that
people are increasingly better educated about the condition on the one hand,
and general living conditions for the populations as whole, have improved. Although
dementia levels have decreased in this age group, it is still set to increase
in the older age groups as people are living into their 80s and 90s. With no
cure and few effective treatments dementia has an economic impact that exceeds
cancer or heart disease.
Why modern life is
making Dementia in your 40s more likely
A recent study by Colin Pritchard suggests that dementia is
starting 10 years earlier and is affecting more people in their 40s and 50s.
This early onset has been linked to environment factors for example the fact we
have quadrupled our road and air transport, which means there is an inevitable
increase in air pollution, exposing everyone to a vast range of noxious
substances. There will always be contention surrounding the causes of dementia
and indeed what steps need to be taken at a global, national and local level.
Thankfully there is some consensus around what can be done to ease the burden
on those with the condition and those who care for them. As with so many other conditions, awareness
and education are absolutely central to any strategy aimed at improving the
lives of those affected.
Education
All NHS staff are now required to have specialist training
for dealing with dementia within the next four years. A study has shown that
too many health workers do not know enough about the condition, which is
leading to major failings in the care of the most vulnerable patients. Just
half of those with dementia are actually formally diagnosed, and even though a
quarter of hospital patients suffer from the disease, research suggests that
they actually receive much worse care than other patients. There still far too
many accounts of people in care settings ending up without food and water, as
well as the neglect of other aspects of their welfare.
What is important to
know about dementia?
People often talk about dementia as a ‘memory thing’ without
really understanding how the condition works. We rarely discuss causes or how
to prevent it. More importantly we often
lack the knowledge about how to deal with it. For example the most common
generally accepted cause of dementia is a disease which causes the brain cells
to degenerate and die quicker than they would normally. The changes usually
happen because of a build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain. Just knowing
this simple fact can be helpful. If we understand some of the fundamentals,
then we are less likely to get agitated or annoyed at anything the patient is
doing. If I can understand and identify the different stages of dementia I am
far more likely to be able to understand how the condition will affect
behaviour in the future. If nothing else, I can make preparations for myself
and the person I care for. I need to be able to identify the difference between
the early, middle and late stages of dementia and the symptoms. I firmly
believe that completing a short course, whether it be in the classroom or
online can have a real impact on the lives of carers and, by extension, the
lives of those they care for.
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