World Alzheimer's Day 2023

In celebration of World Alzheimer’s Day on 21/09/2023, we thought it would be useful to share some ideas of how you can make a difference to those living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Did you know that one in 3 people born in the UK will develop dementia? Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was the leading cause of death in the UK in the last 10 years.  It affects so many people globally, and there are lots of things we can do to show our support.

Here are just a few ideas:

1. Donate to the Alzheimer’s Society

You can donate at the following link: Donate now | Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk)

Donations are used to provide support to those living with Dementia and Alzheimer’s, but also fund research to help find a cure.

£12 will pay for a companion call to someone feeling alone and isolated.  

£30 will pay for 2 hours of advice from a Dementia Advisor.

£50 will pay for half a day of research by a PhD student.

2. Become a Dementia Friend

A Dementia Friend is someone who has learnt more about Dementia through attending a Dementia Friends Information Session; either online or in person. By becoming more knowledgeable about dementia, a person has the opportunity to turn that knowledge into practical help. This could be by doing things such as supporting someone living with dementia, spreading awareness of dementia or volunteering for an organization that helps people with dementia.

You can become a Dementia Friend at:

dementiafriends.org.uk/WEBArticle?page=join-options

Why not speak to your work and see if you can arrange a session for you and your colleagues? You even get a badge to wear with pride!

3. Volunteer at a Local Memory Walk

You can help by volunteering at a local memory walk. Memory Walks are events held across the UK where people undertake a sponsored walk. These events raise some much needed funds for The Alzheimer’s Society, but it also needs volunteers to help the events run.

They need people to undertake roles such as:

• Selling Merchandise
• Handing out Medals
• Being a Route Marshal
• Being a Back Marker

This can be a very rewarding experience, you could even do it as a teambuilding event!

To become a Memory Walk volunteer you can register here:  Volunteer at Memory Walk | Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk)

4. Take Part in a Fundraising Event

Another way of showing support, is by taking part in a fundraising event, and raising money through sponsorship. The Alzheimer’s Society has lots of ideas on their website for social and virtual events that you could do to help raise donations.

Look for inspiration at the following link: Social and virtual events | Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk)

It’s a great way to challenge yourself and do some good in the world at the same time.

5. Learn about the Symptoms of Dementia

Learning the symptoms of dementia, can help with diagnosing ourselves or our loved ones. A diagnosis can give people access to treatments to manage symptoms, as well as provide them with emotional, practical, legal and financial support.

You can learn more about the common Dementia symptoms at the following link:

Dementia symptoms | Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk)

Early signs include:

• Memory Loss; for example, problems recalling things that happened recently.
• Difficulty Concentrating, Planning or Organising; for example, struggling to make decisions, solve problems or follow a series of steps (such as cooking a meal.)
• Problems with Language and Communication; for example, difficulties following a conversation or finding the right word for something.
• Misunderstanding what is being Seen; for example, problems judging distances (such as on stairs) or perceiving the edges of objects, and misinterpreting patterns or reflections
• Being Confused about Time or Place; for example, losing track of the time or date, or becoming confused about where they are
• Mood Changes or Difficulty Controlling Emotions; for example, becoming unusually anxious, irritable, sad or frightened, losing interest in things and personality changes.

There are so many things that we can all individually do to support those with dementia and Alzheimer’s, and taking the time to think about these actions can make a huge difference to many people’s lives.

The Alzheimer’s Society website Alzheimer's Society (alzheimers.org.uk) has a huge amount of information and support available. We have found it extremely useful in gaining more knowledge about how we can help on World Alzheimer’s Day and have used lots of their information within this article.

If you have any ideas of how Alert Health 24 can help support those with Dementia and Alzheimer’s, please get in touch at: communications@ah24.co.uk