Dementia: Expert discusses the signs and symptoms
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Britons are more likely to talk about other personal details such as divorce or their weight. This reluctance to talk about the debilitating condition persists despite dementia being a growing issue in the UK. Nearly half (47 percent) have never had a conversation about it with loved ones and one in three bury their heads in the sand and “don’t want to talk about it”.
Of the conversations the nation does have about dementia, half of these happen only when a parent or relative has already developed the condition and decisions need to be made about their care.
A diagnosis is made every three minutes and more than 850,000 Britons suffer from the disease.
This figure is projected to rise to more than 1.5 million by 2040 but a report from care provider Anchor Hanover reveals how the nation is reluctant to face the consequences of the condition.
Almost one in three say they have not talked about dementia because they do not want to worry loved ones. Yet 59 percent fret about a family member suffering from the disease.
Jane Ashcroft CBE, chief executive of Anchor Hanover, said: “Dementia has been a taboo for far too long and it’s time to break the silence. For many, it can be embarrassing and uncomfortable but it doesn’t have to be.
“Only through conversation can we ensure the right decisions can be made at the right time.”
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