Dementia Friends

This Assembly notes statistics from the National Alzheimer’s Society which show that there are currently 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, with over a million people with dementia expected by 2021, with Healthcare London estimating that in 2008 that there were approximately 64,600 people with dementia in London.

UK wide statistics about dementia also reveal that there are over 17,000 younger people with dementia but predominately it affects people as they grow older, with the proportion of people with dementia doubling for every 5 year age group, and two thirds of people with dementia living in the community.

The Assembly further notes that on the 10th September 2014, the Alzheimer’s Society will launch new dementia prevalence figures and explore the economic cost of dementia in the UK. These new figures have been developed with King's College London and London School of Economics.

The Assembly welcomes the Alzheimer’s Society campaign to ensure that by 2015 there are at least one million people who are Dementia Friends; people who understand a bit more about dementia and the small things that can be done to help people with the condition.  The Assembly praises the many individuals and organisations, including major retailers that have already joined this campaign.

The Assembly wishes to see the stigma and misunderstanding towards people with dementia reduced in London and calls on the Greater London Authority and the wider GLA family to offer Dementia Friend training for staff.