News Release, 25 June 2002
The Mental Health Foundation is holding a conference on Tuesday July 2nd in Nottingham about the early diagnosis of dementia. Organised in partnership with the Alzheimers Society, Tell Me the Truth: Empowering the Person with Early Dementia will be held at Nottingham Trent University for professionals, people with an early diagnosis of dementia, their family members and carers.
One of the speakers, Elaine Robinson, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease when she was 42; she will be sharing her personal experience of diagnosis and living with dementia.
The regional conference is the first of six being planned by the Mental Health Foundation, linked to each of the Foundation's Dementia Advice and Support Services (UK) pilot services. "The services exist to offer support and information to people in the early stages of a dementia-type illness, but we need more referrals. I hope that this conference will help to increase awareness among GPs and encourage more people with memory problems to consult their GPs at an early stage."
Only 50% of GPs believe that it is important to look for early signs of dementia and, even when a diagnosis of dementia has been made, GPs have shown a general reluctance to share that diagnosis with their patients. Reasons for non-disclosure of typically include reluctance to cause undue distress to the patient and the difficulty of explaining the illness, but there is strong evidence to suggest that people with dementia would rather be told the truth about their diagnosis.
All speakers at the Nottingham conference are addressing early intervention in dementia, in line with standard seven of the National Service Framework for Older People. Tom Dening, psychiatrist and adviser to the Department of Health, is on the national advisory group of the Dementia Advice and Support Services project. "Until now services have tended to respond to people with more advanced dementia. We need to encourage people to consult their GP earlier if they are worried about their memory, and GPs must know how to respond to them at this stage."
Other professionals presenting at the conference include:
- GP Dr Steve Iliffe, from University College London, who is currently researching the best way for family doctors to learn about dementia.
- Peter Scurfield, author of the January 2000 Audit Commission report Forget-Me-Not on mental health services for older people its 2002 update, based on the findings of 73 audits of mental health services across England. He will be sharing the findings of the audit with the conference in relation to the early stages of dementia.
In addition to the national speakers, there will be 11 workshops on early dementia being run by professionals from national and regional organisations.
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For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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