Director of Public Health Annual Report 2015
Dementia
Jnuulyary
Ja
22001155
Health & Wellbeing in York
About dementia:
The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include
memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem solving or
language. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases
such as Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes.
By remaining involved and active a person
with dementia can maintain their skills and
independence for longer and live well with
dementia.
With an ageing population the number of people
with dementia is increasing, however research
has shown that lifestyle factors such as a
balanced diet, exercise and not smoking are ways
to reduce your risk of getting dementia.
Two-thirds of people with dementia live at home
and of these, one-third live alone. One-third of
people with dementia live in care homes, and
up to 70% of care home residents in the UK
have dementia or significant memory problems
(Alzheimer’s Society, 2014a).
www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/
download_info.php?fileID=2318
70 – 80% of older people who live with
dementia in a care home experience falls,
with more than a third of people who
experience a fall suffering a fracture as
a result. Half of those who fall, fall again
within a year.
Five things you
n
know about de eed to
mentia:
• Dementia is n
ot a natural
part of the age
ing process.
• Dementia is ca
used by
diseases of the
brain.
• It is not just
about
losing your me
mory.
• It is possible
to live
well with it.
• There is more
to the
person than th
e dementia.
Types of dementia:
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe the symptoms of a group of more than
100 conditions that impair memory, behaviours and thinking.The commonest are:
• Alzheimer’s disease – 62% of cases.The exact causes of Alzheimer’s are not
known but age is the most significant factor.
• Vascular dementia – 17% of cases.Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood
supply to the brain due to diseased blood vessels.
• Dementia with Lewy bodies – 4% of cases.This form of dementia gets its
name from tiny spherical structures that develop inside nerve cells leading to the
degeneration of brain tissue. Cause unknown.
• Fronto-temporal dementia - 2% of cases. Damage is usually focused in the
front part of the brain. Personality and behaviour are initially more affected than
memory.
What’s good for the heart
is good for the head
Exercise is beneficial for physical and
mental health and can improve the
quality of life for people in all stages of
dementia.
Research shows that people who take
part in activities that stimulate the brain
are less likely to develop dementia. It is
thought that mental activity increases
the brain’s capacity to cope with and
compensate for physical damage.Taking
up new hobbies or learning new skills
are great ways to challenge your brain
and keep it active.
•Physical activity creates valuable
opportunities to socialise with
others.
Activities in Yo
rk
Moving More O
ften - sessions at
City
of York Council’s M
orrell House Older
People’s Home focu
s on participation o
f
residents in adapte
d versions of Boccia
(a
game similar to bow
ls or petanque devi
sed
for people with seve
re physical impairm
ent
– see picture below
), parachute games
and
New Age Kurling. Sp
orting Memories ru
n
sport reminiscence
sessions at Windso
r
House encouraging
residents to take pa
rt
in organised physic
al activity.This was
recently covered by
ITV Calendar
http://www.itv.com
/news/calendar/
update/2014-12-09/
sporting-memories
help-patients-withdementia/
•Improving physical function
through exercise can help
maintain muscle strength and
joint flexibility which can be a
way of helping people maintain
independence for longer.
•Reducing the risk of falls.
Picture courtesy of
Boccianews.com
City of York Council’s Public Health Team has been running dementia awareness
workshops with sports clubs and facilities, especially with sports that have a higher age
demographic eg bowling, and working towards creating dementia friendly sport and
physical activity venues. “How to” presentation
Facts:
UK
0,000 people with
•There will be 85
by the end of
dementia in the UK
2015.
illion people with
•There will be 1 m
by 2025.
dementia in the UK
ple with dementia in
o
pe
f
o
%
44
y
nl
•O
Northern Ireland
England,Wales and
receive a diagnosis.
0 carers of people
•There are 670,00
e UK.
with dementia in th
the UK economy
• Dementia costs
ore than cancer,
m
;
ar
ye
a
n
o
lli
bi
3
£26.
ke.
heart disease or stro
people know close
n
io
ill
m
21
r
ve
•O
cted by dementia.
friends or family affe
York:
•The current estimate is that there
are 2,680 people in York aged 65+
with dementia.
• 1,729 of these people are female and
951 are male.
•In February 2015 there were 1,611
people on dementia registers in GP
practises located within the City of
York Council area.
York has made a commitment to
becoming a Dementia Friendly City,
where people with dementia are
understood, respected, and confident
they can contribute to community life
,
due to increased understanding and
improving sources of support.
Services/Support in York:
• Dementia Forward provides a range of information, advice and support. Their
Dementia Advisors provide support to individuals and carers, as well as facilitating
a variety of group peer support group activities in York.You can contact them on
01904 692473 or email [email protected]. If you are making a referral
on behalf of someone else please make sure you have permission to pass on his or
her details.
• The York Alzheimer’s Society also runs peer support activities in York, such
as Singing for the Brain and dementia cafes, as well as ‘Caring and Coping’ education
courses for carers. Email: [email protected]
• Here Now Dementia run projects such as the ‘Minds and Voices’ user forum,
for people with dementia in York. www.herenow.org.uk
•Other organisations, such as Age UK York, Crossroads (carer’s breaks),York Carer’s
Centre and Riccall Carers also provide various support services to older people,
including people with dementia and their carers.
•Adult Social Care information, products and services can be found at
www.connecttosupport.org/york
Fleetways Taxis is one local business in York that has become more dementia friendly.
The drivers took part in dementia education sessions and now display a ‘dementia
friendly’ sticker in their taxis to demonstrate to customers that they are aware of and
can help passengers with dementia.
• Dementia Friends - a dementia friend
learns a little bit more about what it is
like to live with dementia and then turns
understanding into action. Find out how to
become a dementia friend at
www.dementiafriends.org.uk
• Music can be a powerful tool helping a person with dementia to access emotion,
unlock past memories and help to create a sense of identity and well being.
www.playlistforlife.org.uk encourages families and caregivers to create a playlist of
personally meaningful music on an iPod for people with dementia.
For more useful information about dementia:
www.alzheimers.org.uk
www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia-guide/pages/dementia-prevention.aspx
www.dementiaforward.org.uk