A new Department of Health campaign is urging people to look out for signs of dementia when they visit relatives, particularly over the Christmas holiday season.
The campaign features a TV advert telling the story of a man in the early stages of dementia, and his daughter, who feels she is losing her father. It highlights the importance of contacting a GP if symptoms such as memory loss, confusion and anxiety are spotted.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage greater early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, which leads to more effective treatment and enables the person and their family to access support and advice.
The Department of Health has also produced a leaflet on the possible early signs of dementia which includes:
- struggling to remember recent events, but easily recalling things that happened in the past
- struggling to follow conversations or programmes on TV
- forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects
- repeating things or losing the thread of what’s being said
- having problems thinking or reasoning
- feeling anxious, depressed or angry about memory loss
- feeling confused, even when in a familiar environment
