87 per cent admit having difficulty remembering every day things
Published 13 November 2007
87% of people in Britain have difficulty remembering every day things, according to a new survey released today as part of the Alzheimer's Society's Million Memories campaign.
But what you struggle to recall may be influenced by your gender or age:
- Topping the poll, a third of women admit to having difficultly remembering where they've put things whilst 30 per cent of men struggle to remember people's names
- At 42 per cent, 16 - 24 year olds have the most difficulty remembering where they put things, compared to just 23 per cent of people over 65
- Single people have more trouble remembering dates and anniversaries than their married counterparts
Memory master offers tips and advice on improving your memory
Million Memories is a new website launched today by the Alzheimer's Society. It aims to celebrate the importance of memory by creating the biggest online store of people' s memories whilst raising awareness of memory loss.
Celebrities have already started to donate their most precious memory to the campaign, including Jo Brand, Lynda Bellingham, Sally Lindsay and Graham Norton.
Ben Pridmore, memory master and former world memory champion, says,
'Your memory is a marvellous tool. If you want to improve your memory then a top tip is to think in pictures, your brain processes pictures more easily than words. It is hard to imagine how devastating it must be to be affected by a disease like Alzheimer's, which robs people of their memories. That's why I am supporting the Million Memories campaign and telling people memories do matter.'
Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, says,
'Memories are a gift we too often take for granted. The Million Memories campaign is a simple way to make your memories matter: by donating your favourite memory online, and sharing it with your friends and family, you will be helping people with dementia.
'Our survey shows that memory lapses happen to everyone from time to time, but if your forgetfulness is getting worse or is starting to affect your everyday life it is best to get it checked out.'
The Million Memories website is being launched for World Alzheimer's Day (Thursday 21 September).
