Alzheimer Scotland urges 'No time to lose'

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To: News/Health/Community Editors

Alzheimer Scotland is joining a worldwide ‘No Time to Lose’ postcard (pdf, 237kb) campaign to highlight World Alzheimer’s Day and the 100 year anniversary of the first identification of the illness by Dr. Alois Alzheimer.

Scotland has 64,000 people with dementia, by 2029 as life expectancy increases, there will be around 109,000. In answer to these statistics Alzheimer Scotland is urging people to send a ‘Not Time to Lose’ postcard to the Scottish Health Minister Andy Kerr asking him to make dementia a national health priority.

Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland Jim Jackson says, “100 years on from the first identification of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia is still not recognised as a health priority. Yet there is no need to look another 100 years ahead to see the challenges that face us. By 2029 there will be 70% more people with dementia and their carers who will need support from health and social services and plans to cope with this growing public health issue must be made now.”

World Alzheimer’s Day is on 21st September 2006 and is being commemorated by Alzheimer Scotland by the launch of 100 balloons to mark the 100th anniversary of Alois Alzheimer. The launch will be followed by Alzheimer Scotland’s 8th World Alzheimer Day lecture which will examine the case study of Dr. Alzheimer’s first patient Auguste D, before outlining the developments in treatment and care that have been made in the dementia field 100 years later.

More information about World Alzheimer's Day

Please give our Freephone 24hr Dementia Helpline telephone number: 0808 808 3000 and our website address: www.alzscot.org at the end of articles.

Contact details:

Sarah Bromley, PR & Marketing Manager, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07904 624 696, sbromley@alzscot.org
Jim Jackson, Chief Executive, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07747 025 041, jjackson@alzscot.org

Note for Editor:

Dementia affects approximately 64,000 people in Scotland.
Alzheimer’s disease is the main form of dementia. The second most common is vascular dementia. As yet there is no cure.

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s foremost voluntary organisation working for people with dementia and their carers. It:

• speaks out for the rights and concerns of people with dementia and their carers;
• operates services on over 60 sites throughout Scotland providing practical services such as day, evening and weekend centres, home care and befriending and carers' support services;
• provides the 24 hour national freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000);
• provides the website www.alzscot.org;
• supports a network of over 40 carers' support groups;
• provides information to carers, professionals and people with dementia;
• publishes leaflets, booklets, reports and a quarterly newsletter keeping carers and professionals up-to-date
• has a research programme.