According
to latest statistics, dementia became a leading cause of death in England and
Wales. Last year dementia accounted for 11.6% of all deaths which is more than
61000 deaths.
The
change, according to Office for National Statistics, is largely due to an aging
population.
People
are living longer and deaths from other causes have gone down.
With
doctors are better at diagnosing dementia and the condition is now given more
weight on death certificates.
The
number of women deaths is higher with 41,283 compared to 20,403 dementia deaths
among men.
Dementia
including Alzheimer’s disease remained leading cause of deaths in females in
2014. All types of cancer as group was still the most common cause of death overall.
In youngest age group aged from five to 19, suicide was the leading cause of death.Among
women aged 35 to 49, breast cancer was the biggest killer.
Hilary
Evans of Alzheimer's Research UK said: "These figures once again call
attention to the uncomfortable reality that currently, no-one survives a
diagnosis of dementia.
"Dementia is not an inevitable part of
ageing, it's caused by diseases that can be fought through research, and we
must bring all our efforts to bear on what is now our greatest medical
challenge."
Martina Kane of the Alzheimer's Society
said: "It is essential that people have access to the right support and
services to help them live well with dementia and that research into better
care, treatments and eventually a cure remain high on the agenda."
There are around 850,000 people living with
dementia in the UK.
Warning
signs of dementia
Seek medical advice if
your memory loss is affecting daily life and especially if you:
·
struggle to remember recent events, although
you can easily recall things that happened in the past
·
find it hard to follow conversations or
programmes on TV
·
forget the names of friends or everyday
objects
·
cannot recall things you have heard, seen or
read
·
lose the thread of what you are saying
·
have problems thinking and reasoning
·
feel anxious, depressed or angry
· feel confused even when in a familiar
environment or get lost on familiar journeys
·
find that other people start to notice or
comment on your memory loss
Linda Trueman, 67 and
from Hertfordshire, lost her mother, father and grandmother to dementia.
She says attitudes
about the disease have changed, but some taboos remain.
"It was the 1970s
when my grandmother died from dementia and really, at that time, most people
didn't know the term Alzheimer's.
"And when my
father died in 1987 there were several instances where I was explaining to the
doctors about his Alzheimer's.
"Since then
there's been a big change in knowledge and expertise. My mother died from
dementia last Christmas and I was really impressed with the level of care she
received. It was really touching and respectful the way she was treated.
"But it's still a
condition that everyone is frightened of. People can find it difficult to be
around those with dementia. I understand that. It can be really difficult to
handle, particularly if they behave badly in public. But it's the disease, not
the person."
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