Aug 24 2012

People in Scotland are "in the dark" when it comes to caring for those with dementia, according to a private healthcare firm.

A poll by Ipsos MORI for Bupa Care Homes suggests that 29% of people in Scotland do not know the best way to support someone with dementia and that 31% do not know what to expect as the symptoms get worse.

Around 800,000 people across the UK have dementia and this is expected to rise to at least one million by 2021, according to Bupa.

Family members are usually the first to identify symptoms of the condition and often try to care for their loved ones for as long as possible.

Bupa said many people struggle to find basic information and guidance to help them.

In response, Bupa has launched a series of films offering advice to people who find themselves caring for someone with dementia. Bupa Care Homes, which provides specialist dementia care, has teamed up with choreographer Arlene Phillips to make the films for the company's Understand Dementia campaign.

Ms Phillips, whose father had dementia, said: "I know from my own experience how frightening it can be when someone you loved lived with dementia. I wanted to make these films to help others.

"Had I known what I do now, my relationship with my father needn't have been so fraught and difficult."

Professor Graham Stokes, Bupa Care Homes's director of dementia care, said: "When families bring a loved one to our care homes, they often tell us how they struggled for many years caring for them, sometimes on their own with little support.

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Scottish News: Many 'in the dark' about dementia