World Alzheimer’s Day – Tuesday 21 September 2010

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day 2010. Across the globe, people are calling for governments to give better provision to people with dementia and their carers.

The event runs each year on 21 September. It aims to raise awareness of dementia as an increasingly crucial health issue. This year, the theme is “Dementia: It’s time for action!”

Its organisers, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) say governments worldwide need to wake up. More and more of their citizens are living with dementia and the situation cannot be ignored.

“ Having a globally co-ordinated awareness day sends a strong message to governments and policy makers,” ADI says.

ADI estimates about 35.6 million people worldwide have a diagnosis of dementia. The number is expected to double every twenty years.

Poor detection rates mean that there are far more cases. But even in countries with the best detection, many people know little about dementia. Raising awareness of the condition is crucial to helping those who live with it.

ADI, an umbrella organisation of dementia charities, started World Alzheimer’s Day in 1994. Look out for the World Alzheimer Report 2010. Go to www.alz.co.uk

The organisation is urging people to get in touch with a dementia charity in their country. So if you’re affected by the condition, get in touch with Hope for Home. Email home@hopeforhome.org.uk or call us on 020 8463 0128.  

GLOBAL COST OF DEMENTIA CARE IS £388BN.

The global cost of dementia care this year will be £388b , according to a report released to mark World Alzheimer’s Day 2010.

The cost includes social care, unpaid care by relatives and medical bills for treating dementia.

The figure will rise rapidly in future years but all countries are seriously ill-equipped to meet the challenge,  said the World Alzheimer Report 2010. 
The report, released by the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), examined the cost of dementia worldwide. It is more than 1% of global GDP and if it were a country, it would be the world’s 18th biggest economy. The £388bn figure is larger than the profits of Wal-Mart or Exxon Mobil.

“Dementia is the single most significant health and social crisis of the 21st century,” said Dr Daisy Acosta, Chair of ADI. “World governments are woefully underprepared for the social and economic disruptions this will cause.

There are an estimated 35.6 million people with dementia worldwide. This number is expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050. But government spending for dementia treatment and care is much lower than for other health problems.

In the UK, dementia care costs more than cancer, heart disease and stroke care combined, yet it receives nothing like the same funding.

Thelma Harvey, Chair of Hope for Home, said: “These sobering figures are further proof that the world has to act fast to make sure people with dementia have proper provision.”

“In the UK, the government must not forget 820,000 people living with dementia. They need better care provision to meet even their basic needs.  It is imperative that their needs are met.”

  To download the report, go to www.alz.co.uk/worldreport