You can find information on the PM’s Dementia Challenge on the Dementia Challenge site and read about the Department of Health’s policy on dementia on gov.uk.

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The proportion of people with dementia who have a formal diagnosis is now 46%, compared with 43% in 2011. Alzheimer’s Society estimates that there are 428,000 people in the UK who are living with dementia but haven’t been diagnosed.

In response to these figures, Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt said:

“The small improvement in the overall rate of dementia diagnosis is good news, but the extreme variation we see across the country is unacceptable.

“It’s time for the worst performing local areas to wake up to the dementia time bomb we are all facing. While many areas do excellent work, the worst is diagnosing just one third of people with dementia – delaying and preventing them from accessing vital treatment and causing unnecessary suffering.

“I have committed to making this a year of dementia awareness; improving both diagnosis and understanding of the condition are integral if we are to begin making a difference to people’s lives. As part of my commitment, I will shortly be visiting every region to meet with the people responsible in the health and care system to encourage them to make a difference.

“We have already asked local areas to set ambitious targets for improved dementia diagnosis over the next 2 years and I hope those with the worse performance can learn from the best and help make England one of the best places in Europe for dementia care.”

The Alzheimer’s Society has produced an interactive map highlighting the number of people who have a diagnosis of dementia in different Primary Care Trusts in the UK.

Find out more about the diagnosis data on the Alzheimer’s Society site.

Find out about the Dementia Challenge.

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For further information please visit http://tacklingdifficultconversations.com/sectorspecific-courses/for-healthcare/

You can obtain a copy from

http://www.globis.co.uk/resources/clivelewisbooks.php

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Local authorities working in partnership with social care providers and the NHS will have the opportunity to bid for a share of £50 million capital funding to invest during 2013-14. The funding will be used to improve care environments to help people with dementia and their carers manage their condition better. Details of the funding were first outlined on the 25 October by Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt.

For further details and to register interest in applying to take part in the programme see the application guidance. A letter from David Flory, Deputy NHS Chief Executive provides an overview of the project and a summary of the timeline. Successful projects will begin from 2013-14 and will be subject to national evaluation.

Research by The King’s Fund demonstrates that good design can help with the management of dementia. People with dementia are less likely to get confused or become distressed within an environment designed with their needs in mind. Examples include an intelligent use of colour to mark out different areas to aid memory, clearer signage and the opportunity to take part in activities such as gardening.

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Under the scheme, which is led by the Alzheimer’s Society, people will be given free awareness sessions to help them understand dementia better and become Dementia Friends.

The scheme aims to make everyday life better for people with dementia by changing the way people think, talk and act. The Alzheimer’s Society wants the Dementia Friends to have the know-how to make people with dementia feel understood and included in their community.

People can register their interest in becoming a Dementia Friend on the Dementia Friends website or by texting Friend to 88080.

By 2015, 1 million people will become Dementia Friends. The £2.4 million programme is funded by the Social Fund and the Department of Health. The scheme has been launched in England today and the Alzheimer’s Society is hoping to extend it to the rest of the UK soon.

Each Dementia Friend will be awarded a forget-me-not badge, to show that they know about dementia. The same forget-me-not symbol will also be used to recognise organisations and communities that are dementia friendly. The Alzheimer’s Society will release more details in the spring about what communities and organisations will need to do to be able to display it.

The forget-me-not symbol has been created by the Alzheimer’s Society working with the Dementia Friendly Communities champion group, which is part of the PM’s Dementia Challenge.

The video below explains Dementia Friends. Find out more on the Dementia Friends website.

Today the Government also announced the next steps for the Dementia Challenge.

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£9.6 million for dementia research

This is to fund the expansion of the UK Biobank, which already holds biological data from 500,000 individuals aged 40-69 years. This expansion will include 8,000 brain scans to help scientists discover why some people develop dementia and others do not.

Extra support for GPs on dementia

This is to better equip them to spot and diagnose dementia, and to help people with dementia and their carers to manage the condition. There will be a dementia toolkit for surgeries, and a requirement on health care professionals to ask patients aged between 65 and 74 about their memory as part of every standard health check.

Pilot with schools and youth projects

This ambitious pilot will help young people across the country become dementia aware, helping students understand more about the condition. The aim is for the pilot to be expanded into a nationwide programme.

£1 million prize fund for ways to increase diagnosis

Funding will be awarded to NHS organisations that find groundbreaking ways to drastically reduce the number of people with dementia who are undiagnosed by health care professionals.

A £50 million fund for environments designed for people with dementia

This funding is to create areas in care homes and hospitals that help to reduce anxiety and distress in people with dementia, and help them feel safe.

A commitment on information for people diagnosed with dementia

Every person diagnosed with dementia will be able to obtain detailed information on services and support, as part of the Our Health online service directories, which currently covers the South West of England and will be rolled out across England by the end of March 2013.

42 organisations signed up to the Dementia Care and Support Compact

The 42 signatories to the compact represent 1,800 care services committing to standards of care and treatment for people with dementia.

Find out more about these and other initiatives and achievements on the Dementia Challenge website.

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There is a champion group for each of the following areas:

• creating dementia friendly communities that understand how to help
• driving improvements in health and care
• better research

Dementia friendly communities champion group

The dementia friendly communities champion group is chaired by Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador and former newsreader Angela Rippon. Some of its main achievements described in the report are:

• launching a £2.4 million Dementia Friends programme, led by Alzheimer’s Society and funded by the Social Fund and the Department of Health, to deliver dementia awareness sessions to 1 million people in the UK by 2015
• creating a dementia awareness symbol – a forget-me-not – to be worn by Dementia Friends and displayed by dementia friendly organisations and communities
• working with a wide range of companies and organisations to help make life better for people with dementia, including emergency services, schools, financial institutions, energy providers and retailers

Health and care champion group

The health and care champion group is chaired by Sir Ian Carruthers, Chief Executive of the South West Strategic Health Authority, and Sarah Pickup, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS). Some of its main achievements described in the report are:

• 42 organisations signing up to the Dementia Care and Support Compact, committing them to standards of care and treatment for people with dementia – together they care for more than 500,000 people with dementia in 1,900 homes and sites across the country
• securing £50 million of funding to create specially adapted wards and care home spaces to improve the experience of people with dementia – using simple changes to improve treatment and the experience of those with dementia.
• working with the NHS Institute to issue a call to action asking hospitals to sign up to becoming dementia friendly care environments by 31 March 2013

Research champion group

The research champion group is chaired by the Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies, and Sir Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust. it aims to use the UK’s unique resources and influence to accelerate research into the condition. Some of its main achievements described in the report are:

• hosting a global research showcase in London featuring more than 150 researchers from global pharmaceutical companies and leading universities
• a new pilot project to explore the use of technology to reduce existing diagnosis times by up to 18 months for people in the early stages of dementia has been awarded Government funding

Read the report.

Find out more about the Dementia Challenge.

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The three-month campaign in England, launched on World Alzheimer’s Day, will raise awareness of the condition, early signs and symptoms and how to seek help. It includes television and print advertising.

Sir Michael Parkinson, Fiona Phillips and legendary England goalkeeper Gordon Banks have lent their support to the campaign, by sharing their personal experiences of dementia in a series of short films.

The campaign is part of the Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge. It will encourage people to have that first ‘difficult conversation’ with a friend or family member when they spot the signs and symptoms of dementia, and encourage them to visit their GP.

The Alzheimer’s Society has provided advice on how to bring up the topic with a loved one who may be showing signs of dementia.

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, said:

“Our goal is to make this country a world leader in tackling the challenge of dementia. That requires us all to play our part, including being brave enough to start conversations about dementia to get our loved ones the early help we know makes a difference.”

Initial signs and symptoms of dementia, which is caused by diseases including Alzheimer’s Disease, may include short-term memory loss that affects daily life, unexplained anxiety or depression and problems thinking or reasoning, such as finding it hard to follow conversations or TV programmes.

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said:

“Dementia is one of the biggest challenges we are facing, but while there remains no cure, early diagnosis can help people take control of their condition and plan for the future.

“This campaign sends a clear and important message – if you spot signs or symptoms in your loved ones then have that difficult conversation because diagnosis makes a difference.”

Find out more about the dementia campaign and the Dementia Challenge.

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For further information please visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/snm/dementiapack

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For further information please visit http://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news/latest_news/WDDF.aspx

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