What is dementia?

• Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases

• There are over 100 different types of dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the most common

• It is progressive, which means the symptoms will get worse over time

• Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is not a natural part of ageing

•  You can’t catch dementia, like you catch chicken pox or a cold

• Just because someone in your family has dementia, doesn’t mean you will get it when you are older

In the future, more people will be affected by dementia…

Currently, there are 850,000 people in the UK living with dementia.

That is equivalent to more than 22 Wembley stadiums at full capacity.

Every person with dementia is different, so not everyone will have the same symptoms. Some ways dementia can affect people include:

• Forgetting things• Finding it hard to get the right words out• Getting lost• Getting mixed up about dates and times• Reacting strangely

What are the symptoms of dementia?

Dementia doesn’t only affect the person diagnosed

Actress Carey Mulligan talks about how dementia affected her family:

As the video shows, dementia is a disease that affects whole families, and friends.

The impact of dementia

• People with dementia can live a full and happy life with the right care and support

• Dementia does get worse over time, and in the later stages people need more support with daily activities like cooking, moving around or getting dressed

• Often this support is provided by family carers. In 2013, families and carers spent approximately a billion hours supporting and helping those with dementia.

That is equivalent to 150,000 years or watching all 563 episodes of The Simpsons over 480,000 times.

How you can help someone with dementia

Talk to me slowly and clearly

If you see me looking lost or confused, tell an adult

Don’t get upset if someone can’t remember your name, or something that you did together

You could think of activities you can still do together, like listening to music, drawing or looking through old photographs

I can research about dementia and talk to my friends and family about it

I will be patient and give those with dementia time to speak

• Alzheimer’s society is a charity that provides information and support to people with any form of dementia, but also their families and carers

• Alzheimer's Society funds research to help improve care, prevent dementia and trying to find a cure

• Alzheimer's Society is active in campaigning for people with dementia to improve their quality of life

What does the Alzheimer’s Society do?

Small changes

Insight on a day in the life of someone with dementia

As the video shows, there are various things that can be done in the community to help those affected by dementia to live well

We need your help

There are simple things that you can do to help. You can make a difference by:

• Visiting the Alzheimer’s Society website to find out more• Fundraising – why not host a Blue Day at school?• Campaigning to help raise awareness

alzheimers.org.uk/youngpeopledementiafriends.org.uk@alzheimerssoc