Facts for the media about dementia

Please note, this page is for journalists. If you are looking for general information about dementia, support, Alzheimer’s Society or fundraising, please see our contact page.

The Alzheimer's Society press office offers a service to journalists who are looking for information and interviews about dementia, research and fundraising initiatives. 

For journalists and media enquiries only, please contact our press office.

How to talk about dementia in the media

Alzheimer’s Society’s media guide is designed to help professionals working in media to understand how best to work with the Society and people affected by dementia, as well as how to write, talk about and portray dementia in their work.

What is dementia?

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer.

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing and its not just about forgetting things. It is a group of symptoms caused by different diseases that damage the brain. The symptoms get worse over time and include:

• memory loss
• confusion and needing help with daily tasks
• problems with language and understanding
• changes in behaviour

Alzheimer's Society has produced a symptoms checklist, endorsed by the Royal College of GPs, to support people to get a vital diagnosis. 

Types of dementia

There are many types of dementia but Alzheimer's disease is the most common. The next most common is vascular dementia. 

Alzheimer's disease is a physical illness which damages a person's brain. It starts many years before symptoms start to show. Early symptoms are mild and so don't stop someone doing their normal everyday activities. It's only later that symptoms become severe enough to be called 'dementia'.

Other common causes of dementia include vascular disease, which prevents blood from getting to the brain properly, and Lewy body disease.

Just as with Alzheimer's disease, these diseases develop in the brain over many years. Eventually they lead to vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia.

About dementia diagnosis

There is no single test used to diagnosis dementia. A diagnosis is usually based on several tests and assessments. This could include mental ability tests and brain scans, but it varies for everyone. 

For some people, getting a dementia diagnosis can be quite simple and take just a few weeks. For others it can take much longer - sometimes more than a year.

An early and accurate dementia diagnosis is vital. It gives people access to the care, treatment and support they desperately need. Yet one in three people in England and Northern Ireland and an estimated one in two in Wales with dementia do not have a diagnosis. 

Getting a diagnosis can be daunting, but we believe it’s better to know. In a survey commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society in 2024, 1% of people affected by dementia told us they didn’t benefit from receiving a diagnosis.  

How many people in the UK have dementia?

One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime. A report in 2024, commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society, shows that around a million people in the UK have a form of dementia. This is projected to rise to 1.4 million people by 2040.

There are over 70,000 people living with young onset dementia – where symptoms develop before the age of 65. 

It is estimated that 70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems. It is estimated that 60 per cent of people who draw on support from homecare are people living with dementia.

More than 25,000 people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK are affected by dementia.

How many people in the world have dementia?

There are 55 million people living with dementia around the globe. It is estimated that this number will rise to 139 million by 2050.

How much does dementia cost in the UK?

A report commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society in 2024 revealed dementia costs the UK £42 billion per year. This is set to rise sharply to £90 billion by 2040. 

The costs of dementia rise significantly as the condition progresses. The annual, per person cost for mild dementia is £28,700 compared to £80,500 for severe dementia, driven by increasing need for more complex social and unpaid care. 

An unacceptable amount of financial burden – 63% of the total costs of dementia - is borne by people living with dementia and their families. An individual with dementia spends an average £100,000 on social care over their lifetime. 

The cost of social care for people with dementia is set to rise from £17 billion to £41 billion in 2040.  

Unpaid carers supporting someone with dementia save the UK economy £21 billion a year. This will rise to £40 billion in 2040. 

Dementia is one of the main causes of disability later in life, ahead of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. 

Is there a cure for dementia?

There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease or any other type of dementia.

Existing drugs available in the UK only treat the symptoms of dementia. They do not treat the root cause of the diseases that cause dementia, and so do not slow down how quickly it gets worse. 

However, we are at a tipping point in dementia research. Research will beat dementia but we need to make it a reality sooner - through funding, more partnership working and more people taking part in dementia research.

Simple blood tests to detect Alzheimer's and new drugs which could slow down early-stage Alzheimer's disease are just around the corner. 

There are currently 127 drugs in 164 clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease. 

Lecanemab and donanemab are the first drugs for Alzheimer's disease which have been shown to slow down the changes in thinking and memory people experience in the early stages of the disease. In August 2024, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved lecanemab for some people with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in the UK based on patient benefit and safety. However draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not recommended it for use on the NHS at this stage based on clinical and cost effectiveness. In October 2024 the two bodies made the same decision regarding donanemab, deciding not to recommended it for use on the NHS at this stage based on clinical and cost effectiveness.

Research Alzheimer's Society funded 30 years ago led to the treatment breakthroughs we're seeing today, and research we fund now will be pivotal in unlocking more breakthroughs. 

However, despite dementia's impact and prevalence, research into the condition is desperately underfunded and there are not enough dementia researchers. 

Decades of underfunding means dementia research lags at least 20 years behind the progress we've made in cancer.  Dementia research received approximately 2.5 times less funding from the government than cancer research in 2019/20.

The National Dementia Mission - the government's commitment to double dementia research funding to £160m by 2024 - must be delivered urgently. This crucial investment must boost research for all types of dementia so that no one is forgotten. 

What does Alzheimer’s Society do to support dementia research?

Alzheimer’s Society has invested over £124m into dementia research in areas such as treatment, diagnosis, innovation and care, providing hope for the future while transforming lives today. 

As a founding funder of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), Alzheimer's Society remains a proud funding partner of the Institute.

Alzheimer's Society's research led by Sir John Hardy over 30 years ago discovered the importance of amyloid protein in Alzheimer's disease. It laid the foundations for billions of pounds of investment into many of the drugs like lecanemab and donanemab, with 111 other drugs currently in trials.

In 2022 Alzheimer’s Society, Innovate UK and Challenge Works launched The Longitude Prize on Dementia, a £4m prize fund to find innovators who can create ground-breaking technologies to help people with early-stage dementia. 

How does Alzheimer's Society support people living with dementia?

Alzheimer’s Society helps people make the most of life with dementia, supporting them through some of the hardest and most frightening times. We provide hope for the future by campaigning to make dementia a priority and funding groundbreaking dementia research, innovation and care. 

Our services include out expert Dementia Advisers, dedicated Dementia Support Line (0333 150 3456) and online Dementia Support Forum. 

How can you contact Alzheimer's Society?

Information on contacting Alzheimer's Society is available on our Contact us page.