About dementia

If you are becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you are over the age of 65, it may be a good idea to talk to your GP about the early signs of dementia.

As you get older, you may find that memory loss becomes a problem. It's normal for your memory to be affected by age, stress, tiredness or certain illnesses and medications. This can be annoying if it happens occasionally, but if it's affecting your daily life or is worrying you or someone you know, you should seek help from your GP.

How common is dementia?

According to the Alzheimer's Society there are around 800,000 people in the UK with dementia. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia, and two thirds of them are women.

The number of people with dementia is increasing because people are living longer. It is estimated that by 2021, the number of dementia sufferers in the UK will have increased to around 1 million.