A CAMPAIGN to highlight the early signs of dementia and help cut the risk of developing the condition is being planned in Scotland, it emerged yesterday.
The Scottish Government is preparing an advertising blitz to help people recognise symptoms in those close to them and allow early care.
The news came as Shona Robison, the public health minister, announced more than £1.6 million funding to suppor
t sufferers of dementia, anxiety and depression.
Up to 65,000 people in Scotland are believed to suffer from dementia, but specialists estimate this figure could rise to 114,000 by 2031 – an increase of 75 per cent.
Ms Robison yesterday announced £600,000 in funding to allow charities Alzheimer Scotland and the Dementia Services Development Centre to create projects to offer support and advice to dementia sufferers and their families after diagnosis.
The projects created by the charities will be piloted in three areas before being rolled out across the country.
The Scottish Government is also preparing to launch its awareness campaign over the next year to highlight information about dementia, so people can recognise the early symptoms.
Ms Robison said the campaign would challenge the myths and stigma around dementia.
But, importantly, it would also highlight some of the known risk factors for dementia to potentially reduce the future burden from the growing number of sufferers.
Ms Robison said: "We know that for vascular dementia, looking after your physical health is very important. So healthy eating, healthy diet, not abusing alcohol, not smoking – these are all things that people can do throughout their lives which will reduce the risks of vascular dementia.
"That's an important message to get out to the younger generation – that there are steps they can take to reduce their chances of vascular dementia."
Yesterday, it also emerged that people with depression and anxiety in Scotland were set to receive psychological therapy over the phone and internet.
The Scottish Government will soon start piloting phone and web-based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking treatment.
The Living Life programme, which will be based alongside the NHS 24 phone service, should help combat the current long waits faced by many patients needing CBT.
The full article contains 375 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
