Nottingham Dementia Action Week begins with dozens of events
Dementia Action Week has started across Nottinghamshire, with support groups, awareness sessions and memory activities taking place throughout the week as charities push for earlier action and greater public understanding of dementia.
Morning briefing Nottingham
Temperature
8° to 15°C
Rain
Showers through the day
Wind
Gusts 17 mph
Sunset
21:00
Ride details Good to ride
Recommended gear
- Waterproof
- Jacket
- Light layers
- Hi-vis
Best times to ride
Breezy today
- 06 8°
- 09 10°
- 12 10°
- 15 13°
- 18 15°
- 21 13°
Dementia Action Week started today with Dementia Action Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (DANN) compiling an extensive list of events to raise awareness and offer support every day throughout the week. The national week is spearheaded by the Alzheimer's Society as they say one in three people born in the UK will develop the disease.
Alzheimer's is the most common precursor to dementia - the cause of which is still not understood. Researchers currently have evidence for a few likely factors: age is the strongest, family history, and issues associated with cardiovascular disease. Due to the early stages of understanding, NHS guidance for prevention can be summarised as 'stay as healthy as you can'. Though it is not a direct correlation, those with healthier hearts are more likely to delay or escape dementia. There is no cure, so acting to improve cardiovascular health today is a must.
DANN are a non-profit who bring together many services around Nottinghamshire. Edwalton Manor Care Home have multiple events during the week. Today their Memory Museum is open to the public between 11:30am and 12:30pm, and a dementia awareness experience at 2:30pm. (Book is essential for both.) The DANN Facebook page has collated dozens of events across Nottingham.
The city is at the heart of dementia research across the country, with both universities having centres dedicated to understanding the disease. In January, 40 experts gathered in Nottingham to hold conference forming the 'Nottingham Consensus'. The group came to 56 recommendations across public health messaging, individual- and population-level interventions, and research commissions.
One of the recommendations was raising awareness so it can become a part of public health discourse. The Action Week aims to do just that. Dementia UK say: "you don't have to do something big - small actions add up to life-changing impact." Both Alzheimer's UK and Dementia UK have advice on fundraising and campaigning.
