Understanding Dementia

Identify possible causes of dementia, what it means to have dementia, and the various difficulties people living with dementia face. This course is suitable for everyone.

Introduction

Dementia is a condition where the brain becomes progressively less able to function. 

"Dementia is a gradual decline in the brain’s functioning. It causes a number of symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to carry out normal tasks of daily living."

Some facts about dementia: 

Dementia is a progressive condition that gets worse over a period of time. The condition becomes more prevalent in older people - so as people live longer there will be more and more cases of dementia. 

According to the Alzheimer's Research Trust there are 750,000 people with dementia in the UK, a figure which will rise as the population ages. 

It rarely occurs in people aged less than 40, but in the UK 1 in 20 people over the age of 65 have dementia. By the time that they die 1 in 3 people in the UK will have experienced it.  At the moment there is no cure for dementia