These new drugs are just the first steps in ending the devastation caused by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Right now, we can only treat the symptoms, not the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
But these are game-changing treatments, and things are only going to get better – there are currently 147 drugs in clinical trials and more than 100 of them aim to slow the progression of the disease.
Research is vitally important to the dementia landscape - providing more accurate diagnosis, helping to make care as good as it possibly can be, identifying drugs that can help to improve the daily symptoms for those living with dementia and helping identify risk factors which may help with prevention or early detection.
'What I wish people knew about dementia'
There are over 42,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK (this is commonly known as young-onset dementia).
Wendy Mitchell, who was diagnosed with young onset dementia at the age of 58, has written a book What I wish people knew about dementia.
In this, she speaks of how there are so many preconceptions to overcome.
To me, the idea that someone with dementia could write a book is one of them, but she has, and the book is warm, positive and inspiring, showing there are many different facets, from one who really knows.
Dementia, she makes clear, is not just about memory. It’s about changes to our senses, our emotions, our communication. It’s about our environment, inside and out.
We don’t have to wait for a miracle drug before making interventions that can improve someone’s life. I’d recommend this uplifting and practical book as a fantastic gateway – it’s almost a travel book.
Wendy herself says it’s for "those who are living with the disease, someone supporting a person with the disease, a professional working in the field, or just a curious individual who believes that empathy and inclusivity is better for all of us."
It shouldn’t be hard to sign up to the latter.
As Wendy’s book makes clear, dementia is not automatically the end of life, but it can be the start of a very different one.
That said, for many, the disease has a devastating personal impact, but also far-reaching consequences for society as a whole – it currently costs the UK economy more than £34bn every year.
Why should we care and what can we do?
The Insurance Day for Dementia is a chance for the insurance sector to unite for a day to raise awareness of, and funds for, dementia.
Almost half of the 300,000 of us working in the UK insurance sector will be affected in our lifetime, either directly or through a loved one. Many advisers will see the effects on their clients and their families.
