Dementia Awareness Week takes place from 30 May – 5 June.
Alzheimer Scotland is encouraging Scots to get informed about dementia and do something extraordinary to challenge the condition.
Over the course of Dementia Awareness Week (30 May – 5 June), the charity is staging a variety of fundraising and awareness-raising events including purple parties, hot air balloon ride and a zip-slide across the Clyde.
Every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia and in Scotland there are over 90,000 people living with the condition.
Cabinet secretary for health and sport, Shona Robinson, urged people to back Dementia Awareness Week.
I welcome Dementia Awareness Week as the illness remains one of our foremost public health challenges, in Scotland and across the globe
She said: “I welcome Dementia Awareness Week as the illness remains one of our foremost public health challenges, in Scotland and across the globe.
“The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting changes and improvements in dementia diagnosis rates, services and supports – an example of this is our distinct approach to post-diagnostic support which receives international attention.
“We will publish our third National Dementia Strategy later this year.”
Henry Simmons, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, added: “We want to see as many as people as possible join us during Scotland’s Dementia Awareness Week to help us challenge dementia together. Our goal is to make sure that nobody faces dementia alone.
“With over 90,000 people in Scotland living with dementia and the number set to double in a generation, we need to take action now to support those living with the illness along with thousands of partners, carers, family members and friends. By talking about dementia we improve our understanding and we break down the stigma.
“By joining together to do something good you can help raise vital funds to support our Dementia Advisor Network and help us open more vital local resource centres. You can also help us provide Dementia Nurses and ensure our vital 24 hour Dementia helpline and services are there to support people today as our researchers work hard to give us hope for tomorrow.”
Everyone can help challenge dementia by clicking here. If you want to talk about dementia call Alzheimer Scotland’s freephone 24 Helpline on 0808 808 3000.
Alzheimer Scotland will mark Dementia Awareness Week by staging an international conference on Friday 3 June at the award-winning Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), bringing together speakers from Scotland, the UK and across the world to share their expertise, their research and innovations and their advice.
For those unable to attend, TFN will be reporting live from Alzheimer Scotland Annual Conference 2016, including exclusive video interviews with speakers and live blogs from the main event sessions. Visit thirdforcenews.org.uk on 3 June and follow us on Twitter @ThirdForceNews.
