Dementia Action Week: PenARC fellows answer your questions

PenARC Dementia Fellows, Dr Ilianna Lourida, Dr Hannah Wheat, Dr Tomasina Oh and Dr Catherine Alexander were awarded fellowships giving them the experience and training to help them to develop into future leaders in dementia research.

Across all of the ARCs in England, research fellows – called the Dementia Community or DEMCOMM – work on all aspects of care and support for people with dementia and their carers and families.

As a celebration of Dementia Action week, run by Alzheimer’s Society, researchers from across England shared how their work has been improving the lives of people with dementia and their families and carers.

The PenARC research fellows have been actively engaging with communities across the South West, sharing their work and speaking with people about their experiences with dementia. Through these conversations, they discovered the public had many questions about dementia care research. In response, they set up information stations in local venues—such as libraries in Tiverton, Bodmin, and Exeter—to connect with even more people. The wide range of questions they received inspired them to create three videos that address some of the most common themes raised.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

More and more people are living longer in the UK and the number of people with dementia is increasing. Alzheimer’s Society estimates that the total cost of dementia in the UK is £42 billion. Sixty-three per cent of these costs are shouldered by people with dementia and their families. The cost of dementia in the UK is set to rise to £90 billion a year by 2040 unless action is taken.

Professor Ruth Bartlett leads the 60 DEMCOMM researchers:

“This is a great team of people doing important work looking at all aspects of care for people with dementia, from nutrition to socialising to reducing the risk of falls.

“People with dementia are just that – people – and there are a number of things they need in order to lead their best lives. Applied research uses the evidence of what works in the real world and puts it into practice, and that’s why this team of researchers can make such a difference.”

Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society said:

“Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK, the biggest health and social care issue of our time. There is so much we can do to improve the care and support provided for people with dementia and their loved ones today, which is why we are proud to be part funders of the DEMCOMM initiative that will play a critical role in doing this.”