Dementia does not discriminate between different communities.

However there are some differences that may be more or less prevalent in some communities than others.

Lifestyle can impact on some communities such as the South Asian and African Caribbean, where Vascular Dementia may be more likely due to stroke.

Not everyone is aware of dementia, others have misinformation about it. Some people even think it might be normal as we get older or that it is a may be a punishment from God.
 
Better information and services might mean we can delay or prevent certain types of dementia.

Being informed can lead to accessing support and better care.

There is no known cure for dementia, although some medication can help delay progression.

Millions of pounds are being invested into trying to find a cure. However, it is also important to think about the care concerns whilst we wait for a cure.  

Lots of research and services are working on supporting people with dementia and their family carers to ‘live well’ with dementia.

Dementia is a collective term for a number of conditions. Popularly known are Alzheimer and Vascular dementia, but there are many others.

BAME communities are more at risk of dementia because of our lifestyles and being at higher risk of certain diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure and clients that may not be very healthy. Whilst statistics show the likelihood of dementia increases as we get older. BAME people are more likely to get dementia at a younger age – Young Onset Dementia.

Never the less, being of BAME heritage we are more likely to experience a lack of understanding from family, relatives or the wider community about dementia and its impact on us. They will not necessarily know that you may experience memory loss, difficulty to articulate sentences, perhaps unable to work out time and space. Sometimes we can become angrier or withdrawn because of dementia. Manging things like diabetes or taking medication can therefore become difficult.

However, a lot of work is being done on supporting people with dementia and their carers. So, it might be helpful if you can start to learn about dementia and the impact it might have on you as well as what you can do to ‘live well with dementia’.

Live well with dementia

Dementia is a condition that is dictated by the part of the brain that is affected. Everyone may show different types of behaviours or symptoms. Instead, work towards making decisions that put you in control of what you want to do whilst you can make decisions and for when you find decision making difficult.

Above all, make the most of life. Living well with dementia may be a tricky concept but essentially try to focus on abilities and ;positives rather than the negatives and what might happen in the future.