Dementia Statistics in the UK
What is Dementia?
De-men-tia (Noun): General term for loss of memory, language, problem solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life.
There are over 200 different types of Dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
The four most common Dementia Types.
The Impact of Dementia
Caring for a family member living with Dementia can be challenging, rewarding, change family relationships and impact on physical and psychological health.
Two-thirds of unpaid carers are women;
48 % of carers have long-standing illness or disability;
32% of carers have as much social contact as they would like;
63 % say that they have no or not enough support.
Social circles can decrease due people being uncomfortable with Dementia and as a consequence opportunities to socialise or take part in activities decreases. However, the right support can make a world of difference. People with Dementia can live a full and happy life with the right care and support.
Why is this support needed?
One in three people born in the UK today will develop Dementia in their lifetime;
53% know someone that has been diagnosed;
Approaching a million people in the UK have a form of Dementia;
This is projected to rise to 1.4 million people by 2040;
There are over 70,000 people living with Young Onset Dementia – where symptoms develop before the age of 65;
It is estimated that 70 per cent of People in care homes have Dementia or severe memory problems;
Many may go undiagnosed and the national average from referral to diagnosis is 156 days.
Dementia was the UK’s leading cause of death in 2022.
Our Challenges
Numbers of People needing Support;
There are very few organisations offering the face-to-face support that we do;
Larger charities often rely on other smaller charities to supply local services; centralised call centres can’t supply local knowledge and signposting;
We have a great relationship with the Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Dementia team, with them referring people to us; however, other Councils may have fewer resources;
We do not receive funding from our local councils;
We have to rely on donations and the grants that we apply for; with increased competition for diminishing opportunities;
We have a shop on Maidenhead High Street and very small office, none of our board directors are paid and all of our team are on salaries way below what they could earn in a commercial organisation;
We don’t have budget: we start from zero and seek sponsorship or donations - every penny possible goes directly to supporting our members - most of our activities are without charge.
