News

  • Value of early diagnosis

    “We can diagnose and start to manage dementia earlier than we do currently,” the Chief Medical Officer’s Report on Health in an Ageing Society has admitted. Professor Chris Whitty’s annual report touches on dementia in several places, including in a chapter on secondary prevention and early diagnosis in older age. “An early diagnosis and access…

  • Remembrance Sunday

    Veterans living at Royal Star & Garter’s care homes attended the Cenotaph service in London on 12 November. World War Two veteran Ken, who lives at Royal Star & Garter in High Wycombe, is pictured with a wreath at the Cenotaph.

  • Peter Mittler – life story

    A book documenting the life of human rights campaigner Professor Peter Mittler CBE has been published by the My Voice project, run by Manchester Jewish social care charity The Fed. Professor Mittler, who has dementia and has been active in the field, left Nazi-occupied Austria as an eight-year-old and came to England on the Kindertransport….

  • News from Alzheimer Europe conference

    Anti-Stigma Award At its 33rd annual conference in Helsinki last month (16-18 October) the winners of Alzheimer Europe’s  2023 Anti-Stigma-Award were announced. First prize went to Touchstone’s BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) Dementia Service in Yorkshire, UK, which provides specialist support to people living with memory problems or a diagnosis of dementia and their carers/family…

  • Blood biomarker challenge

    Dementia blood tests could be available on the NHS in five years, Alzheimer’s Society claims, after launching the next phase of its Blood Biomarker Challenge, a £5 million award for the research team judged most likely to deliver. Applications for the challenge, a collaboration with Alzheimer’s Research UK and the National Institute for Health and…

  • Social prescribing – music

    The Power of Music Fund, a scheme to promote social prescribing for people with dementia and their families, opened on 22nd November for new grant applications. Musical initiatives for carers and people with dementia, such as dementia choirs, can apply for multi-year grants of either £1,000 or £2,000 annually, depending on the size and scope…

  • New transdermal patch

    An easier way to administer an established treatment for Alzheimer’s disease has been developed by Luye Pharma.  The twice weekly Zeyzelf rivastigmine transdermal patch is said by the company to be simpler than the daily rivastigmine patches already in circulation.  It is also 52% less expensive than some other patches, the company says. Rivastigmine reduce…

  • More News from UKDC

    Research priorities Research programmes have tended to focus on finding a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s, but how can we channel more funding into research to improve care and quality of life? Read More Work with local communities Former Department of Health (DH) civil servant Ruth Eley – now chair of the carer involvement group tide…

  • Reports from UKDC 2023

    Aston University in Birmingham played host to the 17th UK Dementia Congress (UKDC) last week (November 7 & 8) when delegates from every corner of the sector came together for a lively and thought-provoking conference and exhibition. Celebration and concern Graham Stokes, from UKDC’s main sponsor HC-One, kicked off the proceedings by reminding the audience…

  • Film on reality of living with dementia

    Co-created by people affected by dementia, a new film released by the IDEAL research project focuses on the importance of effective communication around dementia.  Titled “The World Turned Upside Down,” it looks at the reality of living with dementia and caring for someone with the condition through a dramatic composition.  People affected by dementia were…