Donation to the Alzheimer’s Society

This terrible disease affects people off all ages including my beautiful Mum and wonderful Father In Law.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It is predicted there will be more than 520,000 people in the UK with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015. The term ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease.

All types of dementia are progressive. This means that the structure and chemistry of the brain become increasingly damaged over time. The person’s ability to remember, understand, communicate and reason gradually declines.

So far, no one single factor has been identified as a cause for Alzheimer’s disease. It is likely that a combination of factors, including age, genetic inheritance, environmental factors, lifestyle and overall general health, are responsible. In some people, the disease may develop silently for many years before symptoms appear.

Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia.  Dementia affects one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in six over the age of 80.  However, dementia is not restricted to older people:  in the UK, there are more than 40,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia.