Whilst coronavirus (COVID-19) has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it has not been the only health challenge of 2020. Indeed, the pandemic has made it increasingly clear that the search for a cure to dementia is urgent and with the right funding and investment, possible. Those living with dementia, their families and their carers lives have had their lives negatively affected and progress in research has been slower than ever. The main impacts of coronavirus on dementia reported by the Alzheimer’s Society are as follows:

A summary of the impacts of Coronavirus on Dementia

27.5% of those who passed away from COVID-19 between March and June had dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia was the most common pre-existing health condition prevalent in the 13,840 people who died from coronavirus during those first 4 months.

46% of those with dementia admitted that lockdown had a negative impact on their mental health, and even more worryingly, 82% reported that they experienced a deterioration of their dementia symptoms due to the impact of social isolation.

75% of care homes stated that GP’s were reluctant to visit residents, resulting in regular health and social care services being put on hold and individuals missing out on essential support.

95% of carers reported a negative impact on both their physical and mental health because of the extra 92 million hours of care family members and friends undertook as a result of the lockdown.

90% of researchers highlighted a concern for the future of funding for dementia research. It’s believed that it will take around 4.5 years for their medical research spend to return to normal, pre-pandemic, levels.

The government has fallen back on its election promise to double its funding to over £160 million a year and with that, speed up the progress of clinical trials. To encourage the government to protect the progress research has made already for the dementia community, sign their petition here.

If you are concerned about the safety or whereabouts of someone you know living with dementia, take a look at our UBEE SAFE GPS tracker watch. Using this watch, you can track and contact your loved one wherever they are and be notified when they leave a certain safe zone (such as their home). Furthermore, with fall detection technology, you can choose to receive a notification should something happen to your loved one.

To find out more information about the help and support available to people with dementia and their carers, click here to read our article