In numbers: Dementia

DEMENTIA in numbers

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity. Dementia is not a disease but a word used to describe a group of symptoms that occur when brain cells stop working properly. However, dementia is caused by diseases. The charity funds research to understand more about these diseases, aiming to improve our ability to diagnose them and find ways to reduce risk and develop life-changing new treatments.

65+

MOST PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA ARE OVER 65 AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPING DEMENTIA RISES WITH AGE. HOWEVER, IN THE UK OVER 40,000 PEOPLE UNDER 65 HAVE DEMENTIA TOO

Symptoms of dementia can include: 1. Memory loss 2. Changes in behaviour 3. Confusion & disorientation 4. Delusions & hallucinations 5. Difficulty communicating 6. Problems judging speeds & distances 7. Problems with balance & movement

FOR EVERY DEMENTIA RESEARCHER THERE ARE FOUR CANCER RESEARCHERS

The number of people with dementia is predicted to rise

Alzheimer’s Research UK is bringing together more than 2,000 scientists from 47 different universities and research institutions across the UK into 15 virtual centres

of scientific excellence

Around 95% of all cases of dementia are due to Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. Two thirds of all dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s (symptoms can include changes in memory, low mood, communicating, and hallucinations). Two in ten cases of dementia is caused by Vascular Dementia (symptoms can include movement problems, instability and falls, personality changes and being slower in thinking).

There are currently 944,000 people with dementia in the UK. Every day, almost 600 people in the UK develop dementia and they are more likely to be women than men

1.1M BY 2030 1.4M BY 2040 1.6M BY 2050

1/4 of hospital beds are occupied by people living with dementia who are over 65

of all cases of dementia are due to Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. of all dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s (symptoms can include changes in memory, low mood, difficulty communicating, and hallucinations). cases of dementia is caused by Vascular Dementia (symptoms can include movement problems, instability and falls, personality changes and being slower in thinking).

Up to 40% of dementia cases are linked to modifiable factors we can influence ourselves. Risk factors for dementia are similar to those for cardiovascular disease. For a healthy brain and heart:

don’t smoke keep cholesterol and blood pressure under control be active daily and exercise regularly maintain a healthy weight eat a healthy balanced diet drink fewer than 14 units of alcohol per week

£117,566,000

...Alzheimer’s Research UK’s total funding commitment from 1992 to 2018/19.

Dementia costs the UK economy £25 BILLION

each year – projected to almost double to £47bn by 2050.

If the UK government put the equivalent of 1% OF THIS £25 BILLION

towards research (£250million) it would more than triple the current investment in dementia research

12%

12% OF ALL DEATHS ARE CAUSED BY ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND OTHER DEMENTIAS

FIND OUT MORE: CHARITABLE.TRAVEL/ ALZHEIMERS-RESEARCH-UK

JOIN US ON the boardwalk

Charitable Travel’s Travel Insider Podcasts (TIPs) invites you to join us in America’s most beloved and fun-loving seaside resort – Atlantic City.

Whether you need something to listen to at the airport, you’re stuck at home wishing you were on holiday, or you’re back from your travels and already planning the next trip, TIPs is here to inspire you.

In the latest episode, host Laura Gelder, editor of Charitable Traveller magazine, gets the local lowdown from Heather and Meg, two Atlantic City residents who share what to see, do and eat in their home town.

Local lore

This all-American playground is famous for its golden beaches, retro boardwalk – with all the fun of the fair – and of course its glamorous casinos, but we find out about some of the more unusual attractions too.

Find out what a jitney is and how you can use one in Atlantic City; discover where one of the world’s best cheese steaks can be found (no, it’s not Philadelphia!), and learn who Lucy the Elephant is and why she’s such a legend in AC.

Next departure to... Keep an eye out for our next TIPs episodes too, covering arts and culture-rich beach town Sarasota, in Florida, and the beautifully green and exceedingly friendly Ireland.

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