Care providers and campaigners across the UK are celebrating World Alzheimer’s Day by calling for greater awareness, earlier diagnosis, and more personalised care for those living with dementia.
Today (Sunday 21st September) marks World Alzheimer’s Day – an event created by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) to urge the government to address the growing health crisis and to challenge the stigma associated with the disease. This year’s theme is ‘Ask about Dementia’ and ‘Ask about Alzheimer’s’.
The need for such an event has never been greater. Alzheimer’s remains the most common form of dementia, affecting around two-thirds of those diagnosed in the UK. According to Care UK, one of the country’s largest care home providers, nearly 70% of residents live with some form of dementia and around a quarter receive an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
What’s more, with the ageing population set to increase, by 2040 it’s estimated that 1.4 million people in the UK will be living with dementia and one in two people will be impacted by the illness through a relative or caring role. As such, experts are calling for more support.
Jo Crossland, head of nursing, care and dementia at Care UK, has spent decades working in both general and mental health nursing. Her passion for dementia care is deeply personal, shaped by supporting her grandfather through his own diagnosis.
Image: Jo Crossland.
‘An early diagnosis is vital,’ she says. ‘It allows families to plan, to seek support, and to understand what lies ahead. It also opens the door to medication or interventions that can help slow the condition’s progression.’
Crossland, who is currently completing a PhD exploring families’ experience of moving a loved one into care, is particularly focused on improving that transition. ‘By the time many people come into care, they and their families have already been managing dementia at home — often with little formal support. We need to do more, earlier.’
Part of that, she argues, includes encouraging people to seek medical attention when they first notice changes, rather than waiting until crisis point. The changes could include memory loss, struggling to concentrate or shifts in behaviour.
However, receiving a diagnosis is just the beginning. Crossland explains support and person-centred care – an approach that considers individual needs as well as clinical ones – is vital. She says: ‘People don’t stop being who they are because they have dementia. Our job is to support them in a way that respects the life they’ve lived and the things that still matter to them.’
Care UK homes have introduced a new scheme that acts as a perfect example of prioritising an individuals’ needs. The organisation asks residents to complete a ‘getting to know you’ session, which sees them share details from former occupations to favourite songs and treasured memories. From this staff members are able to better plan daily routines, activities and meal choices. For instance if a resident is really into football then staff members will research the scores or if a person was really interested in gardening, then carers could host planting activities.
‘Dementia care is about empathy and curiosity,’ Crossland continues. ‘If someone is unzipping cushions or walking the corridors at night, we need to ask ourselves what they might be trying to communicate.’
On the subject of communicating, Care UK is inviting local communities to attend dementia cafés and information sessions at its homes across the country to mark World Alzheimer’s Day and ADI is asking people to wear purple or spread awareness on social media using the hashtag #WorldAlzheimersDay.
As Crossland puts it, ‘When we take the time to listen and understand, we don’t just care for people living with dementia — we connect with them.’
World Alzheimer’s Day comes alongside World Alzheimer’s Month – an event Social Care Today have been reporting. Further reading can be found below:
‘Never too early, never too late’: World Alzheimer’s Month begins
Dementia rehabilitation remains the ‘missing link’ from UK care
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