Health Awareness
Dementia
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The colourful way to help people with dementia
Careful colour choice can play a surprisingly significant part in making life easier and safer for people with dementia. Colour, used with care, can help to improve the lives of people with dementia. An interior colour scheme informed by dementia awareness can reduce the chances of falls and accidents, cut distressing navigation problems, improve accessibility...
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New app research has found a way to support those living with dementia
People living with dementia can see their quality of life and relationships improve through reminiscing about important personal events from the past. Reminiscence can have huge value in enhancing the wellbeing of people living with dementia. Reflecting on and sharing life events can improve their quality of life and relationships. Assumpta Ryan, Professor of Ageing...
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Let’s innovate our way to a brighter future for people with dementia
COVID-19 has had a huge impact on people living with dementia – they have been amongst the worst affected by the pandemic. However, can this devastating crisis lead to a breakthrough in dementia care? While the focus over the past 18 months has rightly been on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic that has destroyed and disrupted...
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How COVID-19 provides a model for dementia research
Recent developments could pave the way for a new generation of dementia treatments, but investment is critical to make this a reality. This year has seen the first new Alzheimer’s treatment in nearly 20 years approved for use in the US. Before too long, we will know whether the drug, aducanumab, will be approved for...
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Ways to cope when you’re looking after a loved one with dementia
Caring for a loved one who has dementia can come with its challenges. However, there are some small things you can do that might make life a bit easier. It can start with small jobs – doing their shopping, picking up medication – and over time it becomes more intensive as they require more support....
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The services and support that can make banking dementia friendly
People living with dementia can face various challenges with banking and may worry about staying financially independent. Dementia-friendly banking services are there to help. There’s an emotional side to money and banking that, ordinarily, we don’t think about. Yet financial independence is central to all our lives because it puts us in control. If you...
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Early warning systems need to be found for dementia
Forgetfulness and memory loss, even when mild, must be taken more seriously. These symptoms shouldn’t be accepted as just a normal part of ageing. Our research will find novel ways to measure the earliest signs of degeneration in the brain so it can be halted and treated before it’s too late. Diagnosing problems early Early...
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Offering better dental care to people with dementia
New guidance has been produced to help dentists offer people living with dementia a better experience when visiting their practices. Dental practices across the UK can play an increasingly pivotal role in the broader care offered to people living with dementia. Not only do dentists see patients on a regular basis and can spot changes...
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Predicting the risk of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s
Addressing challenges seen in patient care and new drug development Some of the greatest challenges in treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are determining who is at risk of getting the disease and knowing when they are likely to experience cognitive decline. These unknowns have a major impact on two key groups of experts operating in AD...
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No time to waste: prioritising early detection of Alzheimer’s disease
Despite extensive global research efforts, to date, there are no disease modifying therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Detecting any disease early on gives us the best chance of intervening and halting progression. Alzheimer’s disease begins with a long, preclinical phase, with damage in the brain building up gradually, many years before problems with memory or thinking...
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Raising awareness of delirium and dementia
Dementia is the most common pre-existing condition among COVID-19 deaths, present in a quarter of all deaths. We must continue to adapt and innovate in order to provide this vulnerable and disproportionately affected group with the support they need. During the pandemic some specialist services such as memory services had to close, or in some...
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“The past became the present for my mum”
Actress, Shobna Gulati, well known for her roles in dinnerladies, Coronation Street, and Doctor Who, describes how she lost her mum to vascular dementia, and how we must work to break down stigma around it. Mum was the matriarch and lynchpin of the family. She was in control of her life, her home and, to...
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Caring for someone with dementia: Taking breaks is a necessity
The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on families, especially on our older relatives living with dementia and family members caring for them. The pandemic has been a stressful time for unpaid carers with the vast majority (70%) having to provide more care for the person they support. Though many COVID-19 restrictions have been...
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How to ensure Alzheimer’s is diagnosed early – and accurately
Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers can accurately predict early stage Alzheimer’s disease1. The earlier the condition is detected, the better the outcomes may be for patients, says one expert. If you are concerned that you’re developing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), you will – understandably – want a speedy and accurate diagnosis to ease your anxiety. Unfortunately,...
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Analysing the link between inflammation and dementia
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The efforts of the research community in the last decade have focused in targeting the cause of the disease (the presence of amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) but the results have not been encouraging, probably because the disease has spread already in those patients and is...
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Stroke survivors twice as likely to be living with dementia
Stroke survivors are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general UK population, highlighting an urgent need for further research. Imagine the person you love slowly starts to forget things. At first, it might be small, like their housekeys or their shopping list. But then, they forget their address and,...
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How do Alzheimer’s risk factors change the brain?
Fundamental research at the University of Edinburgh is providing links between genes, lifestyle factors, and the brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s disease. Age, risk genes, and lifestyle factors like obesity and smoking are associated with increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Our group is working to understand how these risk factors change the brain. Risk...
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Dementia research in the face of COVID-19
As we rang in the New Year, few could have predicted just how tumultuous 2020 would turn out to be. But, nine months on, almost every walk of life has been impacted by COVID-19, causing global turmoil for billions. For scientists searching for life-changing dementia treatments, the pandemic has brought new ways of working –...
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How technology is helping people with dementia
Smart technology has become mainstream over the last decade, automation has moved from tomorrow’s world to today’s reality, and dementia research is reaping the benefits. You might think it is just teenagers embracing new technology, but we know people of all ages have incorporated smart technology into their everyday lives. More than three in four...
