Dementia — A Triple Whammy for Women
Alzheimer’s Research UK is releasing a report this month about the impact of dementia on women. Details released in advance of the formal launch are eye-opening.
As reported in The Guardian, “’Dementia is a life-shattering condition and represents a ‘triple whammy’ for women,’ said Hilary Evans, director of external affairs at Alzheimer’s Research UK. ‘More women are dying of dementia, more women are having to bear the burden of care, while a disproportionate number of women currently working in dementia research are having to leave science.’”
The full study calls for the government to make a significant increase in its funding of dementia research and an improved investment in care. Further, the report will explain that:
■ More than 500,000 women [in the U.K.] are now affected by dementia. About 350,000 men have the condition.
■ Women over 60 are now twice as likely to get dementia as breast cancer.
■ Women are more than two-and-a-half times more likely than men to be care-givers of people with dementia.
■ Most care- givers do not choose or plan to take on this role and often find the experience highly stressful.
Thanks to friends at CARDI, the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland for sharing this news. The formal launch of the Alzheimer’s Research UK report appears timed to coincide with their “sold-out” 2015 Conference on March 10-11 in London.