By Martin Banks - 24th October 2011
There is an increasing prevalence of dementia due to our ageing population
Marina Yannakoudakis
A conference has been told that increasing awareness of dementia can help with early diagnosis.
The information event, organis byed British MEP Marina Yannakoudakis, was designed to help find new ways to tackle Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.
Yannakoudakis who serves as Conservative health spokesman in parliament, last year worked on a parliament report on the disease.
The report makes a number of recommendations on the rights of patients, family and carers, as well as the best ways to raise awareness of dementia.
Yannakoudakis, also a member of the European Alzheimer's Alliance, said, "Over 820,000 live with dementia across the UK with nearly 500,000 Alzheimer's sufferers.
"Moreover, there is an increasing prevalence of dementia due to our ageing population.
"Increasing awareness of dementia can help with early diagnosis, which can help lessen the effects of the disease as well as reducing healthcare costs."
"In the EU we need to share best practices in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's and other dementias.
"We also need to pool resources in researching and developing possible cures. Alzheimer's can only be beaten through research and while the EU has given €159m in funding, much more still needs to be done."
Simon Ridley, head of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said, "Dementia is not a normal part of ageing, it is caused by brain diseases which we can beat with enough research.
"As the population ages, numbers living with dementia are set to spiral, placing enormous pressure on families, society and the economy.
"The UK boasts some of the world's leading dementia scientists, and with more support and investment, they can deliver the advancements in detection, treatment and prevention that we need."
The conference comes in the wake of a recent major study by the UK-based, all-party parliamentary group on dementia which said that "significant" resources are currently wasted on "poor quality care".
The report called for a reduction of hospital beds by at least 10 per cent in order to release over €1bn for investment in community-based dementia services.
