Every year on the 21 September, World Alzheimer’s Day brings global attention to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness, challenging stigma and highlighting the ongoing need for research and support for people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. Alzheimer Scotland are proud to lead this effort in Scotland, focusing not only on supporting those with dementia but also supporting brain health. The charity is named after Alois Alzheimer, the pioneering neurologist who first identified Alzheimer’s as a brain disease and whose research changed the way the world understands dementia. Follow Alzheimer Scotland to find out how they are celebrating the day at @alzscot Hopefully see you at the annual Alzheimer Scotland conference on the 20th September.
During the month Alzheimer’s Disease International publish a World Alzheimer Report 2024 which will be available on the20th of September 2024. This year’s World Alzheimer Report will take a deep dive into the current perceptions of dementia by those living with the condition, carers, health care practitioners and the general public. Building on the 2019 World Alzheimer Report: Attitudes to dementia, ADI has once again commissioned the London School of Economics, as we seek to understand how these attitudes have changed over 5 years. The 2019 World Alzheimer Report: Attitudes to dementia found that 62% of health care practitioners wrongly considered dementia to be a normal part of ageing; 35% of carers had hidden a diagnosis of dementia and 1 in 4 of the general public thought there was nothing which could be done about dementia, underscoring the importance of this campaign. ADI is revisiting the survey that underpinned the 2024 report, to see what changes in attitudes to dementia can be seen around the world. Follow @AlzDisInt to find out about the report or click here for resources to support the month https://www.alzint.org/get-involved/world-alzheimers-month/resources/
The day is a great opportunity for the allied health professional community to come together to raise awareness of dementia and our role to you. Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are a group of various health professionals who can support you if you have dementia or concerned about brain health. They are often referred to as AHPs and all are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). AHPs are experts in early intervention for prevention and rehabilitation and will help you focus on your abilities and strengths, so you can stay connected to your community and live in your own home for as long as possible. We have worked collaboratively as a community to design and develop a range of evidence based self-management resources that we hope you find helpful to live your best life. You can find the resources here. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more about allied health professionals and how we CAN help at AHPDementia@alzscot.org or follow us at @AHPDementia on Instagram and X.
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