The Alzheimer’s Society has announced that an amazing two and a half million people in the UK have now united against dementia by taking part in the charity’s Dementia Friends initiative.

The figure includes 58,963 Dementia Friends in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and the Black Country.

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends is the biggest ever social action movement aiming to change the way people think, act and talk about dementia, so everyone gets the support they need, not just in healthcare environments, but in their community too.

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends initiative was launched in 2013 to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding which means that many people with the condition can face social exclusion.

Already, one in every 30 people in England, Northern Ireland and Wales are involved and an estimated 200,000 hours (equivalent to 22 years) of time has been spent by Dementia Friends taking actions to create dementia-friendly communities, ensuring people with dementia are empowered to live a life they want. Ann-Marie Snelson, Senior Dementia Friends Officer in the West Midlands said:  

“We are so grateful to all those who have become Dementia Friends in the Black Country. It’s encouraging to see what a difference can be made when people up and down the country are helping people feel included in their communities - feeling more confident in carrying out their daily activities and able to continue to do the things they enjoy.

“The public response so far has been impressive, but we must not lose momentum as dementia continues to be the biggest health and social care crisis of our time, and we are a long way from realising equality for people with dementia.”

There are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK alone, with numbers set to rise to over one million by 2021. Because public understanding is so poor, people with dementia often feel misunderstood, marginalised and isolated. This can mean people are less likely to be able to live independently in their own communities.

These findings were highlighted in May during Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Action Week and in the charity’s ‘Turning Up the Volume’ survey published last year. The 2017 new Dementia Statements, informed by people with dementia, set out their rights to be treated the same as others, including ‘the right to be accepted and included in our communities and not live in isolation or loneliness’.

Anyone can become a Dementia Friend by watching a short online video or attending an Information Session enabling you to better understand and help people with dementia. Unite with Alzheimer’s Society today, visit dementiafriends.org.uk.