Living with young onset dementia

This video introduces Ian Grant and Sandy Reed, who were both diagnosed with dementia in their 50’s. They describe their experiences of receiving such a diagnosis at an early age, and the lack of support that often follows. They are both now supported by the Forget Me Not Centre, which provides counselling and support to younger people with dementia and takes a reablement approach. This means that the support staff work alongside the individuals, help to break difficult tasks down into small steps, and encourage frequent practice until confidence in their abilities grows. The video also emphasises the importance of living life, taking risks and having new experiences, as well as the value of peer support.

Messages for practice

  1. Diagnosis of dementia may be slower, more difficult and potentially more devastating for younger people.
  2. It is often then followed by a lack of appropriate support and services.
  3. Living life as a younger person with dementia means still engaging with the world, having the opportunity to take risks and having new experiences.
  4. Access to support that builds confidence, helps restore independence, and enables peer support is crucial.
  5. Personal budgets may offer younger people with dementia an opportunity to get the support that is right for them.
     

Who will find this useful?

Social workers; care staff providing community based services for people with dementia; NHS and social care commissioners; people with dementia and carers; the general public; GPs and other NHS staff; and regulators.

Downloads

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Available downloads:

  • Download transcript
  • Download video assets including an mp4 version of the video, and a SRT subtitles file
  • What the research says: Early onset dementia