Wales Alzheimer's Society

The Alzheimer's Society are calling for more help to ensure no-one in Wales is denied access to information and support, following a diagnosis of dementia.

The charity's 'Right to Know' campaign is also calling for a higher dementia diagnosis rate across Wales, and a guarantee that everyone has access to a Dementia Adviser or equivalent, following a diagnosis.

The Alzheimer's Society is calling for better support to help people with dementia.

The charity, which are launching its 'Right to Know' campaign today, says there is a desperate shortage of support for people with the condition.

A poll carried out by the charity, found one in five people affected by dementia are given no information or support after their diagnosis.

The campaign aims to ensure people with the condition get a diagnosis, as well as access to vital information, support, and available treatments.

More than 45,000 people are currently living with dementia in Wales.

One in three people over 65 will develop dementia - but a new survey shows that less than half of people in Wales have a good understanding of the condition.

Now the charity Alzheimer's Society is launching a scheme to encourage people to become 'Dementia Friends' in a bid to raise awareness.

Welsh 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.

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."

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.

Go to the Dementia Awareness Week website

See what Alzheimer's Society is talking about on Twitter

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.