Did you know that September is World Alzheimer’s Month? The annual event includes World Alzheimer’s Day on September 21. This is a chance to campaign and raise awareness about the stigma that still exists surrounding dementia. Organisations and individuals everywhere can get involved by supporting the campaign theme (which, as last year, is ‘Let’s Talk About Dementia’) during September, and remembering to discuss dementia with family, friends and colleagues. The hope is that we can show how it’s possible to overcome obstacles and help people to live well with dementia. 

A few dementia facts that highlight the importance of the campaign:  

  1. Every three seconds, someone somewhere in the world develops dementia. 
  2. Globally, 152 million people will be living with dementia by 2050. 
  3. About 68% of these will be in poor or low-income countries. 

This World Alzheimer’s Day The Alzheimer’s Society is asking you to help them challenge stigma and grow the global Dementia Friends movement. You can do this by becoming a Dementia Friend, or – if you’re already a Dementia Friend – by sharing the initiative with friends, family and colleagues. 

The Dementia Friends programme aims to transform the way the nation thinks, acts and talks about the condition. There are nearly 20 million Dementia Friends worldwide and this number is continuing to grow. Essentially, a Dementia Friend learns about dementia and commits to spreading the word by taking action – either big or small – to help educate those who know little about the condition. 

These actions don’t have to be time-consuming. From visiting someone you know with dementia to being more patient in a shop queue, every action counts! Dementia Friends can also get involved with things such as volunteering, campaigning or wearing a badge to raise awareness. Many people who become Friends have seen firsthand how devastating dementia can be and how isolating – this movement is one way to help combat that loneliness. 

To learn more, follow this link.