Sir Michael Parkinson, Fiona Phillips and Gordon Banks are to support national ‘A Day to Remember’ campaign, calling for the public not to delay talking about dementia.
The new campaign, which aims to increase early diagnosis rates for dementia acrossEnglandby tackling the public’s fears of talking about the condition, has been launched by the Department of Health with support from the Alzheimer’s Society.
The A Day to Remember campaign is part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia. It will encourage people to have that first ‘difficult conversation’ with a friend or family member when they spot the signs and symptoms of dementia, and encourage them to visit their GP.
New research shows:
- Half of people (50 per cent) say they would find it hard to talk about dementia to a friend or family member they thought might have it;
- A third (33 per cent) say that personal concerns (such as fear of upsetting someone or feeling awkward or anxious) would discourage them from talking about dementia or memory loss with a friend or relative; and
- That nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of people would not be confident telling the difference between the signs of dementia and the normal signs of ageing.
The three-month national campaign will raise awareness of the condition, what initial signs and symptoms look like and how to seek help. Advice on how to have difficult conversations about the condition will also be available.
The Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia was launched in March this year and included a commitment to change people’s understanding of the condition. In addition to the £3.2m campaign, the Challenge committed to transform theUKinto a leading light of dementia care and research, by driving up diagnosis rates; and increasing investment in research and raising the quality of dementia care.
If you are carrying out any work around dementia awareness then we would like to hear from you. Please contact Rebecca Mollart.
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