Press release 17th September 2014

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland launches new campaign to bring people with dementia out of the shadows.

Today, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) launches a new Living With Dementia campaign. Funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, the campaign aims at encouraging people with dementia and carers to talk about dementia and show others how they are living with dementia in their communities.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is hosting a launch event tonight, Wednesday 17th September in the RHA Gallery, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2 between 6pm and 7.30pm with an exclusive screening of two short videos filmed by award winning Irish director Ken Wardrop which show the realities of living with Alzheimer’s. The event is free and all are welcome.

The ASI has also developed a range of new information resources to support people with dementia who are recently diagnosed. Developed in partnership with the Irish Dementia Working Group, the new resources reflect the lived experience of people with dementia, their words and their experiences. They cover areas such as what to do after a diagnosis, how to live well day-today, driving and dementia and include a new help-card to support people when they are out and about in their community. Copies are available on or by calling 1800 341 341.

Gerry Martin, CEO with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland said, “We want this campaign to open up a new conversation about dementia in Ireland. It is time to think about how we talk about dementia and how we regard people with dementia and their carers. We have collaborated with people with dementia and their families to design this campaign. They have lent their voices and their faces in order to show how people around the country are living well with dementia”.

Also today, Alzheimer Disease International releases their World Alzheimer Report 2014 which focuses on recommendations for reducing risk of developing dementia. The report, ‘Dementia and Risk Reduction: An analysis of protective and modifiable factors’, calls for dementia to be integrated into both global and national public health programmes alongside other major non communicable diseases.

The report reveals that control of diabetes and high blood pressure as well as measures to encourage smoking cessation and to reduce cardiovascular risk, have the potential to reduce the risk of dementia even in late-life. The report found that diabetes can increase the risk of dementia by 50%. Obesity and lack of physical activity are important risk factors for diabetes and hypertension, and should, therefore, also be targeted.

EDITOR’S NOTES

  • There are approximately 48,000 people living with dementia in Ireland. This number is expected to increase significantly in the coming years; rising to 68,216 people by 2021 and to 132,000 people by 2041.
  • The majority of people with dementia (63%) live at home in the community. Most people living with dementia are cared for by a family member and there are approximately 50,000 dementia family carers in Ireland.
  • Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of conditions which cause changes and damage to the brain.
  • The overall cost of dementia care in Ireland is just over €1.69 billion per annum; 48% of this is attributable to family care; 43% is accounted for by residential care; formal health and social care services contribute only 9% to the total cost.
  • The Alzheimer Society of Ireland National Helpline is open six days a week Monday to Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm on 1800 341 341.

For further information please contact or 087 224 3004 or or 086 047 2900.

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