The Alzheimer's & Dementia Show

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You may have read the news today that donanemab, a drug for early-Alzheimer’s disease, has been licensed in Britain by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. However, it has not been given the green light for the NHS in England and Wales. There remains uncertainty over the size of the drug’s benefits. And this, set against the costs of giving it to people safely, means it cannot be deemed value for money for the NHS. Of course, this is incredibly disappointing. After decades of tireless research, we finally have two new Alzheimer’s treatments licensed in Britain. But we’re stuck in a deadlock. While these breakthroughs exist, NHS patients still can’t access them. And these aren’t the only treatments on the horizon. NHS England has identified nearly 30 other dementia drugs that could be available by the end of the decade. This gives the government and NHS a crucial opportunity to transform how dementia is treated - just as Labour pledged in their manifesto. But despite our hard efforts, we still haven’t heard from the Health Secretary Rt. Hon. Wes Streeting MP on how he plans to break this deadlock. It’s more urgent than ever that the government acts on their promise, and brings together stakeholders from the NHS, NICE - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for Health and Care Excellence and industry so people affected by dementia don’t continue to miss out on innovative treatments. Alzheimer's Research UK colleagues and supporters will gather in Parliament on 11 December to raise awareness of dementia and the impact of today’s news. By engaging with MPs from across all sides of the Commons, we can ensure this issue is given the political priority it deserves. I encourage everyone in my network to stand with us by emailing your MP and inviting them to attend. Follow the link below to read more about today's news, and contact your MP in less than two minutes! https://lnkd.in/g2e32GjN

“Dementia is really tough and can take away a lot of things. But the one thing it can’t take away is love. Love is not a memory, it’s a feeling. Whether it’s listening to a song together or just a tender stroke on the arm, whatever it is, the love is always there and the love will always remain. Since learning of my gran’s dementia diagnosis, I’ve made it my mission to spread awareness and tell my story to help others. I wanted to be part of the podcast series to help as many people as I possibly can.” Ricky and his gran, Harbaksh, always shared a special bond. 💙 After Harbaksh's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, Ricky was thrust into a caring role and set about learning everything he could about her condition. He shares his story on our new podcast, exploring the difficulties many people face in getting a diagnosis and the unpredictable nature of grief. Subscribe to ‘My life with dementia’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to new episodes as soon as they come out. 🎙️ #MyLifeWithDementia #Podcast #AlzheimersDisease

Lord Darzi’s report found that the UK has a substantially higher rate of dementia deaths, which have been above 60 per 100,000 patients since 2014 and found that dementia diagnosis rates have not improved in recent years. The dementia diagnosis rate for people aged 65 and over has only recovered to around 65% compared to 68% before the Covid-19 pandemic. The proportion of patients with dementia receiving a care plan or care plan review in the preceding 12 months dropped to less than 40% during the Covid-19 pandemic. In its submission to the Investigation, the Alzheimer’s Society argued that there are “high levels of unwarranted variation in access to diagnosis and treatment [and] insufficient adherence to clinical guidelines”. As society continues to age, there is an important challenge to improve both the quality and quantity of care for people with dementia. As we approach the Autumn Budget, we explore what this means for dementia and the NHS: https://hubs.ly/Q02Rs-Kt0

👫 Caring for someone with dementia can be hard, so any wisdom or little trick to make the day easier is always welcome. Did you know that music can have a profound effect on people living with dementia, and that many professional and family carers use it daily as part of their care? 🎵🎼🎷 Ellen Bassam, Research and Communications Officer at Music for Dementia, shares 6 ways you can use music to support people living with dementia and we hear john’s story. https://hubs.ly/Q02RsQd30

CommonAge, the Commonwealth Association for the Ageing, launched its Dementia in the Commonwealth report on Friday 6th September at the International dementia conference in Sydney, Australia. 🌏 🗣️ We caught with one of the report authors, Dr Emma Hodges, to find out more about the report findings and we discuss what a UK National Plan for dementia should look like. Share your comments and reflections 👇 https://hubs.ly/Q02Rt5s-0

Harriet Thomas (61 from Chichester) has embarked on a 900-mile walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats inspired by her mother who lived with dementia. Aiming to raise £25,000 for the charity Dementia Adventure, her 90-day journey began on 1st August and will finish on 26th October. Good Luck Harriet! 👣👏 The team from the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Show caught up with Harriet on 16th September to find out how her walk Is going and we find out how nature can help people living with dementia. Thank you to Harriet and Sam Jones at Bang PR 📚Read the interview here: https://hubs.ly/Q02Rs_d-0

💜💜💜 Today marks the final day of #AlzheimersAwarenessMonth Catch up on our September news and features, including The 2024 World Alzheimer’s Report which explores attitudes toward dementia, examining how the condition is perceived and understood by society and the stigma that still surrounds the condition, underpinned by a global survey of more than 40,000 individuals across 166 counties and territories. The survey is a follow-up to ADI’s landmark 2019 attitudes to dementia survey, and explores how perceptions of dementia have, or haven’t, changed in the span of five years. Read the key findings from the report here: https://hubs.la/Q02Rs_dY0

We're so excited to announce our new podcast, 'My life with dementia'! 🎙️🎉 Presented by actor and Dementia UK Celebrity Ambassador Jim Broadbent, ‘My life with dementia’ takes listeners on a personal journey through the world of dementia, as told by people who have experienced it themselves. People living with the diagnosis. People who have found themselves in a caring role they never expected. And people who are grieving a loved one. Through their stories, and with practical advice from our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses, we gain a deeper understanding of this complex condition, and the challenges faced by those affected. 💙 And the first two episodes are out now! Subscribe to ‘My life with dementia’ on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts to listen to new episodes as soon as they come out. 👇 Subscribe on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e3Vy4_tu Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ewcs65_X Will you be taking a listen? 🎧 #MyLifeWithDementia #Podcast #Dementia

🗣 The government's interim report on the CQC, led by Dr Penny Dash, chair of the North West London Integrated Care Board, found inspection levels were still well below where they were pre-COVID, a lack of clinical expertise among inspectors, a lack of consistency in assessments and problems with CQC’s IT system. UK Care Week caught up with Nadra Ahmed CBE DL 💚 to hear her reactions and analysis on the report and Nadra offers her advice to social care providers. You can watch 📺 the full interview on the UK Care Week website: https://lnkd.in/ecMGnk7Z #socialcare #caresector #CQC #regulation #carehomes #inspections #government #policy #interview #content #blogpost #commentary #opinion