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Young Dementia Network members’ area
As a Young Dementia Network member, we would welcome your help in promoting the Network and important issues relating to young onset dementia with your work colleagues, professional networks, family and friends. You can do this by:
- encouraging others to join the Network
- following and engaging with us on social media – Twitter and Facebook
- joining or facilitating our regular webinars
- sharing our young onset dementia resources
- imparting your experience and knowledge via sharing your story or information about young onset dementia groups, services, research studies or anything young onset dementia-related in our regular e-newsletters
- supporting our campaigns
- sharing with us opportunities to raise awareness and understanding of young onset dementia
Young onset dementia prevalence in the UK
In September 2022, we shared alongside Dementia UK new figures which show a ‘hidden population’ of 70,800 people in the UK who are currently living with young onset dementia — a rise of 28,800 (69 per cent) since 2014.
We are keen for our members and the organisations they represent to adopt the new 70,800 figure. Share the Dementia UK blog on the subject here. The research findings were originally published in the Journal of Dementia Care.
We have created a graphic for use on social media that shares the new figure, download here.
We have written some social media post copy about the increased prevalence figure that you are welcome to use:
Twitter (individual):
A study in @JDementiaCare shows a ‘hidden population’ of 70,800 people in the UK who are currently living with young onset #dementia – a rise of 69% since 2014. Alongside @YoungDemNetwork, I’m calling for better age-appropriate services and care: https://dementiauk.org/new-figures-adults-affected-young-onset-dementia/
Twitter (organisation):
A study in @JDementiaCare shows a ‘hidden population’ of 70,800 people in the UK who are currently living with young onset #dementia – a rise of 69% since 2014. Alongside @YoungDemNetwork, we’re calling for better age-appropriate services and care: https://dementiauk.org/new-figures-adults-affected-young-onset-dementia/
Join the Network
The Network currently has around 4500 members – we want to increase the number and reach more people. To do that, we would appreciate your help in sharing what the Network does, and how to join.
The link to join the Network is:
https://www.youngdementianetwork.org/join-the-young-dementia-network/
A brief description of the Network that you can share with others:
The Young Dementia Network is a collaboration between people affected by and working in the field of young onset dementia. It is free to join and is hosted by Dementia UK. The Network works to increase knowledge, understanding and awareness of young onset dementia.
For further options of how to describe the work of the Network, you can download our core and key messages document here.
We have created an ‘I’m a member of the Young Dementia Network’ graphic. Download here.
If you are active on Twitter, here is some pre-written post copy you can share.
Twitter (individual):
I’m a member of the @YoungDemNetwork. It is a collaboration between people affected by and working in the field of young onset #dementia. Free to join, the Network works to increase knowledge, understanding & awareness of young onset dementia. Join here: https://www.youngdementianetwork.org/join-the-young-dementia-network/
Twitter (organisation):
We’re a member of the @YoungDemNetwork, a collaboration between people affected by and working in the field of young onset #dementia. Free to join, the Network works to increase knowledge, understanding & awareness of young onset dementia. Join here: https://www.youngdementianetwork.org/join-the-young-dementia-network/
Twitter (for anyone to use):
Joining the @YoungDemNetwork is free. Members receive a regular e-newsletter informing them about the Network & young onset dementia news, research & events. Together we can create positive change for people affected by young onset #dementia. Join here: https://www.youngdementianetwork.org/join-the-young-dementia-network/
Young onset dementia infographics
We have created a series of infographics sharing a range of information, facts and figures about young onset dementia. Please feel free to use these graphics in your presentations and Twitter posts.
Prevalence and diagnosis
- Dementia is described as ‘young onset’ when symptoms develop before the age of 65 – download here
- A recent study suggests there is a ‘hidden population’ of 70,800 people with young onset dementia in the UK – download here
- On average a person may see between two and five consultants before a young onset dementia diagnosis is made – download here
- The average time for a dementia diagnosis is 4.4 years in younger people compared to 2.2 years for people aged over 65 – download here
- Prevalence rates for young onset dementia in black and minority ethnic communities are higher than for the population as a whole – download here
- People with a learning disability are at greater risk of developing dementia at a younger age – download here
- People who are under 65 are more likely to develop a genetically inherited form or rarer form of dementia – download here
Symptoms
- Although younger people with dementia experience similar symptoms to older people, the impact on their lives is significantly different – download here
- The first symptoms of young onset dementia may not be memory loss – vision, speech and behaviour can also be affected – download here
- Early symptoms of young onset dementia are often attributed to stress, anxiety, depression and menopause -download here
Differences compared to late onset dementia