We are dedicated to proving FREE respite at home for dementia family carers
Existing dementia charities provide excellent advice and guidance for people with dementia and family carers, including signposting private providers of respite care. However, the gap is in funding families to access this desperately needed respite.
Around 4 out of 5 primary dementia carers are family members or friends, who take on the majority of the day-to-day support. For many families, caring for someone with dementia can be a significant responsibility, with little opportunity to take a break.
Carers report that, if only they had an occasional break from the burden of care, knowing their loved one was being cared for professionally, they could more effectively manage the stresses of being a carer.
This is where Dementia Carers’ Respite can help.
Our aim is to provide funding for free professional respite care in the home, giving family carers the opportunity to take a much-needed break while knowing that their loved one is being safely and professionally cared for.
A wealth of information exists about dementia on specialised websites, with extensive details for those not familiar with it and those wanting to acquire specialised and in-depth knowledge. Some of the great organisations we reference include:
Dementia UK | Alzheimer’s Society | Alzheimer’s Research UK
Dementia is affecting more families than ever before
Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia continue to be the leading cause of death in England & Wales. In 2024 -68,273 death deaths, accounting for 12.2 % of all deaths registered (office of National Statistics data).
There are currently an estimated 982,000 people living with dementia in the UK, and this number is predicted to rise to over 1.4 million by 2040.
Every 3 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia.
One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime, either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both.
Dementia is also the UK’s biggest killer.
Around two-thirds of people with dementia live in the community or at home, rather than in full-time residential facilities, meaning many are heavily dependent on relatives and friends for their day-to-day care.
This highlights the importance of providing support not only for people living with dementia, but also for the family members and friends who care for them.
Dementia in Buckinghamshire
Our Charity is starting in Buckinghamshire with national ambition to help other organisations set up “franchises ” with partners.
The service provided must have links with local carer organisations, local referral groups, and arrangements with local councils and local NHS organisations. This is why we believe the best way to operate is on a county-by-county basis.
“Franchise Partners” across the country will be able to benefit from the processes, procedures, policies and arrangements developed locally, making it almost a copy-and-paste situation and allowing partners to learn from our experience.
For the above reasons, the services provided and dementia statistics on this website are currently for Buckinghamshire only.
The latest available estimates for people living with dementia across Buckinghamshire are:
Mid Buckinghamshire – 1,474
Beaconsfield – 1,482
Chesham and Amersham – 1,493
Wycombe – 1,078
Aylesbury – 1,220
Buckingham and Bletchley – 1,275
These figures demonstrate the scale of dementia within our local communities and the importance of providing support for those caring for family members at home.
To find out more about the UK dementia statistics, visit https://dementiastatistics.org/about-dementia/maps/
Whilst many people can live their entire lives without developing dementia, it is not unknown for the disease to be diagnosed in people who are still in their 40s or 50s. Although dementia is more common in those over 70, it does not occur exclusively in older people.
Most of us, with our busy lives, occasionally forget where we’ve left the car keys or forget the name of a colleague. These are merely signs of ageing and do not mean that we have dementia. Although dementia symptoms vary widely, it is normally a combination of forgetfulness, repetition in speech and inability to complete multi-step tasks that points towards the disease and should trigger a move to seek a medical diagnosis.
Dementia covers a wide range of specific medical conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. In Alzheimer’s, abnormal brain changes lead to a decline in thinking skills and cognitive abilities and, when severe, it can impair daily life and independent function. Dementia can also sadly affect behaviour, feelings and relationships.
*Office of National Statistics
Types of Dementia
There are various different types of dementia, each with its own causes. Click the drop down to see more details about some of the main ones.
The Stages of Dementia
Although dementia experts are moving away from classifying the progress through dementia as early, middle and later, these classifications do offer an indication of what stage the dementia has reached.
The Treatment and Local Facts
There are currently 944,000 people with dementia in the UK – more than ever before – and this number is projected to increase significantly. In Buckinghamshire alone, 9437 people are currently living with dementia.
45% of dementia patients are fully dependent on a family carer or a friend and receive no NHS or Council support and 52% of the UK public know someone who has dementia.
To find out more about the UK dementia statistics, visit https://dementiastatistics.org/about-dementia/maps/
The treatments currently available in the UK for Alzheimer’s disease may slow, but do not stop the progression of the disease and may help manage the symptoms for a time. It’s important for the sufferer, the carer and dementia experts to discuss treatment options available.