A £2 million campaign has been launched by the
Department of Health to raise awareness about
Dementia.
The TV advert tells the story of a daughter as she becomes aware
that her dad is struggling in a number of situations, such as
leaving pans on the hob and forgetting where his car is parked.
While accepting it was a hard issue to raise with him, the message
is that acting on her concerns and getting help means she can keep
the dad she knows for longer.
It is estimated that every general hospital has excess costs of
£6 million because of dementia, due to the worse outcomes for
length of stay, mortality and institutionalisation. In hip fracture
alone, better management of patients who also have dementia could
save between £64 million and £102 million in England every
year.
The campaign was successfully piloted in the North
West and Yorkshire & Humber NHS Regions in March this year.
Among those adults aged 40+ who saw or heard the campaign:
- there was a higher incidence of those who said they would go to
their GP if they experienced any symptoms or ask a close relative
or friend to do so; and
- among all adults aged 40+ there was a significant increase in
those believing that the earlier that dementia is diagnosed, the
easier it is to treat the symptoms, and that with the right
treatment the symptoms can be slowed down.
The National Audit Office estimates that, nationally, dementia
costs health and social care services £8.2 billion per year.
Alzheimer's Research UK have estimated that the overall cost of
dementia to society as a whole is £23 billion per annum. It is
estimated that savings of £80 million could be made every year by
improving hospital care for people with dementia.
In a survey carried out for the Department of Health, only
around a third of adults aged over 40 agreed that they understand
the differences between normal signs of ageing and signs of
dementia, and close to a third of adults aged over 40 thought there
was no support available for people with dementia.
In his latest video blog, Alistair Burns - National Clinical
Director for Dementia talks about the role a new dementia awareness
campaign is playing in helping people spot the early signs of
dementia.
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Dementia is a progressive and eventually terminal condition, but
with early intervention and the right support people with dementia
can continue to live well for many years.
Six out of ten people with dementia in England go undiagnosed.
This means almost 400,000 people could be going without the vital
support the NHS and social care services can offer.
The National Audit Office estimates that, nationally, dementia
costs health and social care services £8.2 billion per year.
Alzheimer's Research UK have estimated that the overall cost of
dementia to society as a whole is £23 billion per annum. It is
estimated that savings of £80 million could be made every year by
improving hospital care for people with dementia.
In a survey carried out for the Department of Health, only
around a third of adults aged over 40 agreed that they understand
the differences between normal signs of ageing and signs of
dementia, and close to a third of adults aged over 40 thought there
was no support available for people with dementia.
Dementia is a progressive and eventually terminal condition, but
with early intervention and the right support people with dementia
can continue to live well for many years.
Six out of ten people with dementia in England go undiagnosed.
This means almost 400,000 people could be going without the vital
support the NHS and social care services can
offer.
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To view the TV advert click here
The following are symptoms of dementia and if people are
concerned about themselves or someone else they should speak to
their GP:
- struggling to remember recent events, although you can easily
recall things that happened in the past?
- finding it hard to follow conversations or programmes on
TV?
- forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects
- cannot recall things you have heard, seen or read
- repeating yourself or losing the thread of what you are
saying
- having problems thinking and reasoning
- feeling anxious, depressed or angry about your memory loss
- finding that other people start to comment on your memory
loss
- feeling confused even when in a familiar environment.
To find out more information about dementia visit www.nhs.uk/dementia/Pages/dementia.aspx
or speak to your GP if you are concerned.
Download the campaign leaflet
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Last updated on Wednesday, February 08, 2012