Dementia Action Week is an awareness raising campaign run by the Alzheimer’s Society and this year’s theme is diagnosis.
Each year, the Alzheimer’s Society work with individuals and organisations across the UK to encourage people to ‘act on dementia’. This year’s campaign runs from 16-22 May.
Research from the Alzheimer’s Society shows:
“The misconception around memory loss being a sign of normal ageing is the biggest barrier to people seeking a dementia diagnosis. With diagnosis rates falling to a five-year low, we want to encourage those who might be living with undiagnosed dementia to come to us for guidance and support and feel empowered to take the next step.
“Getting a diagnosis can be daunting, but we believe it’s better to know. And so do 91% of people affected by dementia.”
With Dementia Action Week running from 16 to 22 May 2022, they want to encourage those who might be living with, or close to someone who might be living with, with undiagnosed dementia to:
- be able to understand and recognise potential dementia symptoms
- come to us for guidance and support
- feel empowered to take the next step
- improve the diagnosis process for both them and healthcare professionals.
Find out more about the campaign.
Here in Calderdale, West Yorkshire Police is raising awareness among staff and officers of the condition and its effects on our local community. They work closely with local dementia groups including Dementia Friendly Calderdale to help reduce instances of vulnerable people including those with dementia going missing from home.
They have a process in place in Calderdale known as the Herbert Protocol for dealing with missing persons. The Herbert Protocol encourages carers and families to compile useful information which could be used in the event of a vulnerable person going missing.
Read about the Herbert Protocol
In this video Inspector Neil Taylor of West Yorkshire Police explains more about how West Yorkshire Police are raising awareness of the condition among their workforce and encouraging officers to become dementia ambassadors.
