Two thirds with dementia suffer from 'loneliness'
Research from the Alzheimer's Society found that 250,000 people with the disease live on their own and suffer from feeling lonely.
Dementia: How to get the right support
Here are some of the ways people living with dementia or their carers can find out about support available to them
No 'significant improvement' in older people's care
The Older People's Commissioner says progress has been made in responding to complaints over hospital care, but more needs to be done.
Live updates
Hairdressers 'can provide advice on dementia'
by Hannah ThomasWelsh actress Ruth Jones has today spoken of her family's battle to understand the onset of her mother-in-law's Alzheimer's disease.
It comes as a campaign is launched to raise more awareness of dementia. It is aimed at businesses like hairdressers, in the hope that they can provide customers with advice on where to go for help, if they think they have it.
With an ageing population, Alzheimer's Society says that the number of dementia sufferers could rise by 40 percent in the next decade.
Ruth Jones on her family's experiences with dementia
Welsh actress Ruth Jones is fronting Alzheimer's Society Dementia Awareness Week.
Her mother-in-law Margaret had dementia and she describes her family's experiences in a film made with ITV's Daybreak.
Ruth says: "noticing the gradual decline in her memory and her ability to deal with the day-to-day, that was the most upsetting thing."
"Talking changes everything - it makes the problem less scary - and we all can club together to deal with it."
Advertisement
Dementia Awareness Week aims to get people talking
It is currently Dementia Awareness Week, running between 19 and 25 May this year.
Alzheimer's Society says it simply wants to get people talking about dementia.
It is using the hashtag #TalkDementia on Twitter, as part of the campaign.
The charity has an online forum for people to talk to others about dementia and tips about how to raise awareness.
It has also launched 'Five things you should know about dementia': it is not a natural part of ageing; it's caused by diseases of the brain; it's not just about losing your memory; it's possible to live well with dementia; and there's more to a person than dementia.
New initiative to encourage people to talk about dementia
There's an estimated 45,000 people in Wales living with dementia and over the next 10 years, that figure is expected to rise to 56,000.
In a bid to raise awareness and get people talking about dementia, Alzheimer's Society is launching a new initiative to get hairdressers in Gwent to raise the issue with their customers and provide them with information.
The charity is holding a range of events to mark Dementia Awareness Week.
Two thirds with dementia suffer from 'loneliness'
Research from the Alzheimer's Society found that 250,000 people with the disease live on their own and suffer from feeling lonely.
Read the full storyDementia 2013: The key statistics
- People with dementia say they rely on relatives and friends for social contact with almost a quarter (21%) of sufferers speaking to friends and family on the telephone less than once a month
- Only 28% of people in Wales thought it was possible for someone with dementia to live alone
- Twelve percent of people in Wales said they felt uncomfortable talking to someone with dementia
- Nearly two thirds (62%) of 250,000 people with dementia who live on their own are lonely
Advertisement
'The stark truth' about dementia
– Sue Phelps, Director of Alzheimer's Society in Wales"This report reveals the stark truth that too many people with dementia, especially the thousands who live alone, are truly isolated. We need to put a stop to this epidemic of loneliness, not only to improve quality of life but also to save thousands from reaching crisis point and being admitted to hospital unnecessarily or care homes early.
"The reality is that many people still feel disconnected from society. It's time for all of us to play a part in helping people with dementia live well with the condition."
Dementia sufferers' 'bad quality of life'
More than half of the people in Wales feel those with dementia have a bad quality of life. At 63%, the figure forms part of the Dementia 2013 report published by the Alzheimer's Society today.
This statistic was reflected in the views of dementia sufferers, 70% of whom said they had stopped doing things they used to due to a lack of confidence.
Charity warns of lack of support for dementia sufferers
Thousands of dementia sufferers in Wales are going into care homes too early according to the Alzheimer's Society. It says this is often due to a lack of support and knowledge of the services that are available.
The charity is hoping that better publicity of what help is out there will keep people in their own homes for longer. Our Correspondent Joanna Simpson went to meet a couple from Cardiff who would like to do exactly that.
'More information needed' for those with dementia
A leading dementia charity is warning that more than one in ten people living with the condition in Wales are going into care 'too early' due to lack of care and support.
Sue Phelps, from Alzheimers Society in Wales says people with dementia and their carers need more information about what support is available.