Making Women’s Brain Health a priority
Thea Laurie, NDCAN member and former carer, has a particular interest in women’s brain health. She has been speaking up for this issue for a long time, highlighting the urgent need to include brain health and dementia in Scotland’s Women’s Health Plan.
Thea's story
Women and dementia
Women are especially affected by dementia. Two out of three people with Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia) are women and dementia is currently the leading cause of death for women in Scotland,
Unpaid carers, the majority of whom are women, prop up the creaking care system saving the government an estimated £13.1 billion pounds per annum: £360 million pounds a day.
During the pandemic, we learned about health inequalities and how badly impacted our health services were, as they struggled to cope.
Sixty four percent of women’s deaths are recorded as being from dementia. If we are talking about health inequalities, we cannot ignore dementia. No lifelong plan dealing with women’s health can be complete if dementia is excluded or ignored.
Making brain health a priority
Thea highlights the importance of turning awareness into action:
“Its inclusion as a priority is such good news, but we will need to make sure it’s not just about raising awareness. It must lead to a recognition that there should be fair care for people with a diagnosis of dementia and a pathway that is rolled out for people to know exactly what help and support is their right. Not just for women but for all people with dementia and their carers.”
The future of Women’s Brain Health
Reflecting on the broader picture, Thea adds:
“No lifelong plan dealing with women’s health can be complete if dementia is excluded or ignored.”
Read the full Women’s Health Plan Phase Two 2026–2029 here.
