Charity’s bid to get dementia sufferers the help they need much sooner
An Alzheimer’s Society’s survey also revealed more than one in three (35%) of those who were diagnosed after two years finally sought a diagnosis because their symptoms were no longer manageable.
There are 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK, including an estimated 39,080 in the North East. More than 200,000 people will develop dementia this year, the equivalent of one person every three minutes. But with diagnosis rates at a five-year low, tens of thousands of people are now living with undiagnosed dementia.
Bill Wilson, 66, of Jesmond, Newcastle, cares for his wife Jo, 68, who was diagnosed with dementia two years ago. Former civil servant Bill said: “Jo had always been a strong, independent woman and I don’t know if it was because of that or if I was naive but even though the signs were there, I didn’t join the dots.
“Maybe, on reflection, I was in denial. But a close friend pulled me to one side and said, ‘you might not like what I’m going to say, but I’m going to say it anyway – I think Jo has dementia.’ “I knew they were right.”
Bill says it was around 18 months after the first signs of dementia that Jo saw a GP in 2019, and that she wasn’t formerly diagnosed until June 2020.
He recalled: “She’d gone to see her GP for something entirely unconnected and, as I was with her, I sort of ambushed her by mentioning her forgetfulness. She wouldn’t have gone if I’d told her I was planning to do that.
“When we finally got the diagnosis, it gave me something to hang my hat on as it were – the condition had a name, and that helped. It was important for me because I was blaming Jo for things that were happening, when I should have been blaming dementia.
“Now, we live for the moment, and I try to find new ways of sharing the time we have left. She can’t live in my world, and I can’t live in hers, but I can try to dip my toes in – I can try to understand things from her perspective. Without a
diagnosis, I could not be this positive. Life would be incredibly frustrating because I wouldn’t understand what was going on.”
Alzheimer’s Society conducted a separate poll which found a lack of knowledge about dementia symptoms and fear are also significant barriers to seeking help, with 19% in the North East admitting they would not recognise the symptoms of dementia and 21% saying they would not go to the GP for a diagnosis because they were scared. Family and friends play a big role in helping people recognise the onset of dementia symptoms, but worryingly, 46% in the North East confessed they would feel uncomfortable raising concerns with a loved one if they were showing symptoms.