28 February update

Dear Supporters 

I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well.

You may have watched the recent Panorama documentary – ‘Alzheimer’s: A Turning Point?’ that looked at two new breakthrough drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease – lecanemab and donanemab. The results of trials of these treatments over the last two years have shown that they can slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease – if taken in the earlier stages of the condition. 

Currently, these drugs are only available through clinical trials, and we expect a decision in the coming months on whether they will be licensed for use in the UK, and indeed if they are licensed, whether they will be made available on the NHS. There is no doubt that many of you will be watching for these developments with a keen interest. We will do all we can at Alzheimer Scotland to campaign for equity of access if these drugs are licensed, and we will keep you updated you as we go forward. The documentary is still available to watch here.

The 11-17 March is Brain Awareness Week – a global initiative raising awareness and support for brain science. This year, our ‘never too early, never too late’ campaign will look at the different ways that people keep their brain healthy. From schoolkids to people living with a diagnosis of dementia, we will be hearing from people directly about what they do every day to look after their brain health. If you want to find out more about what you can do for your brain health, our Brain Health Scotland website has a range of tips, advice and resources to help you get started. 

Finally, National Helpline Day took place on 23 February. Alzheimer Scotland’s Helpline has been running for 35 years, offering emotional support and a listening ear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is supported by a team of skilled and dedicated volunteers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our Helpline volunteers for their compassion and time - you are truly inspiring, thank you.

Best wishes

Henry Simmons
Chief Executive   
 

31 January update

Dear Supporters 

I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well.

You may have recently seen in the press some news about testing for Alzheimer's disease using blood biomarkers. A biomarker is a trait that can be measured in your blood, body fluids, and tissues and they can be signs of conditions and diseases.

As part of the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) worldwide programme, our team at Brain Health Scotland has been working on a project looking at implementing new tools that can be used in clinical pathways in brain health, primary care and specialist settings. These tools include a digital cognitive assessment which contains a lifestyle and health questionnaire and a blood based biomarker.

We know the benefits of having a timely dementia diagnosis, so to have a blood test that could offer this would be game changing, allowing people to access medication and support at an earlier stage of the disease. Work on this is still in progress and although these blood tests are not currently available to the public, we will of course keep you updated on any new developments on this.

We were delighted to launch a new Brain Health Service and Clinic located in our Aberdeen Brain Health & Dementia Resource Centre in early December. This is the first example in the UK of a brain health service that offers a drop-in, self-referral system and is a multi-agency project between Scottish Government, NHS Grampian and Alzheimer Scotland (which includes our Brain Health Scotland team). This innovative new service is for anyone who might have concerns about their brain health. You can find out more here.

We would like to offer our congratulations to Nick Gardner who was recently awarded an MBE. At the age of 80, Nick took on the challenge of climbing all 282 Munros and he raised an incredible £51,000 for Alzheimer Scotland. 

Finally, our events team has lined up an exciting range of fundraising challenges for you to take part in in 2024. You can find out more about how to get involved here. Thank you for helping us make sure nobody faces dementia alone.

Best wishes

Henry Simmons
Chief Executive

21 December update

Dear Supporters 

I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well.

We know that winter can be a difficult time for many people. Over the coming months, Alzheimer Scotland will be here for you and supporting you in a variety of ways. Our Centres across Scotland offer a warm space and a warm welcome, and where possible, will be providing extra groups and activities. Our National Dementia Advisor Service, launched in September this year can help with information, advice or advocacy in dealing with issues relating to dementia and is available 9-5, Monday to Friday. And of course, our Helpline is there for you day or night, offering a listening ear, emotional support, information and signposting. 

Thank you to everyone who has supported Alzheimer Scotland in 2023 by fundraising for us or making a donation. Our current winter campaign ‘We’re all in’ which focuses on dementia research has already received many generous donations – you can find out more about the campaign here.

Finally, thank you to all Alzheimer Scotland staff, volunteers and supporters for their hard work, and their dedication and commitment to people with dementia, their families and carers in Scotland.

I wish you all a safe and peaceful festive season.

Best wishes   

Henry Simmons
Chief Executive
 

30 November update

Dear Supporters 

I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well. 

We were delighted to launch our 2022/23 Annual Review at our recent Annual General Meeting. The review reflects on some of the innovative work taken place over the last 12 months and highlights some of our key achievements. You can download your copy here

This year, our winter campaign focuses on research and some of the wonderful people we support and work with who give their time to dementia research. In our ‘We’re All In’ campaign, we celebrate the idea that each of us, in our own unique way, can contribute to dementia research. Thank you to Willy, Kenny and Rynagh who all featured in the campaign, talking about their own personal experience of living with a diagnosis and participating in research. Our campaign strapline ‘Together we’re the change – are you in?’ sums up perfectly how working together today can bring hope for tomorrow. You can find out more about the ways you can support this campaign here

Dementia research was also a focus of STV’s Scotland Tonight: Living with Dementia last week. It featured Graeme and Kirstin Sutherland, whose mother Linda is living with Alzheimer's. If you missed it, the link can be found here and is available for another few weeks. 

We know winter can be a challenging time. We want to reassure you that Alzheimer Scotland will remain here for you over these coming months between our local support and warm spaces, our National Dementia Advisor Service and our 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline. Find out more here

Best wishes

Henry Simmons
Chief Executive