Kate writes a bi-weekly column for the Burton Mail. This column was originally featured in the 19th May print edition.
There can be few crueller conditions to see impede a loved one than dementia. A disease which takes the very soul and memory of our loved ones, often leaving family and friends feeling like they have already lost the person they care deeply about.
This week is Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Dementia Action Week’ and aims to raise awareness of this condition and encourage individuals and organisations across the UK to act on dementia. As a Member of Parliament, I will be visiting local dementia support services this week to see what care and help is on offer to those who suffer with dementia in East Staffordshire.
It is of course right that those with this awful disease are cared for and treated, but prevention is also key to beating dementia, particularly when you consider that estimates suggest that by 2025 one million people in the UK will be living with dementia.
I was proud to stand on a manifesto that committed to doubling dementia research funding and finding a cure for dementia. In memory of the late Dame Barbara Windsor, the Government launched a new mission in August last year which put research front and centre of understanding the condition and improving outcomes for those affected. As a result, research funding for dementia will rise to a total of £160 million a year by 2024, with an additional £95 million being provided to increase clinical trials and research projects.
As part of this, a new taskforce has been established made up of industry, the NHS, academia and families affected by dementia which will help lead this work to allocate funding. If you have a loved one affected by dementia, can I encourage you this Dementia Action Week to register your interest to take part through the Join Dementia Research website here: https://www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk/.
