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North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Penarth dementia event takes place as UK cases near million
Hosted by Dementia Friendly Penarth, the event at The Paget Rooms brought together dozens of support groups, NHS teams, and community advocates. The event came with one shared mission, to turn Penarth into a more inclusive, informed space for people living with Emma Richards with Phil Batchelor and local community lead Miles Utting. (Image: Phil Batchelor) The event was officially opened by Penarth's newly elected mayor, Emma Richards, who stood alongside Dementia Friendly Penarth chair Phil Batchelor and local community lead Miles Utting. More than 20 organisations participated, offering resources, support, and hands-on advice to residents and caregivers. Groups included the Cardiff & Vale NHS Memory Team, Alzheimer's Society, Marie Curie, Telecare, South Wales Police and Penarth Library among many others. The Alzheimer's Society at The Paget Rooms on Thursday, May 22nd. (Image: Phil Batchelor) Mr Batchelor said: "What truly moved me during these discussions was hearing first hand how community members felt empowered by sharing their experiences. "It reminded me that our strength lies in coming together and caring for one another." According to the latest estimates from Alzheimer's Research UK, nearly 1 million people in the UK are currently living with dementia, a figure expected to soar to 1.4 million by 2040. New data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that more than 47,000 people across Wales are currently living with a diagnosed case of dementia. Urban and coastal regions are seeing substantially higher rates. One such hotspot is the Vale of Glamorgan, where an estimated 2,300 to 3,400 people are living with dementia. NHS information desk at The Paget Rooms on Thursday, May 22nd. (Image: Phil Batchelor) Research from the 2023 Dementia Attitudes Monitor reveals only 36 per cent of the UK public believe it's possible to reduce the risk of developing dementia, despite evidence suggesting that up to 40 per cent of cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors like exercise, diet, and smoking. The campaign's theme, Turning Penarth Blue, was a call to action, designed to paint the town with compassion, resources, and real understanding of the challenges people with dementia face every day. While more than half of adults in the UK know someone with dementia, many still fail to recognise it as a terminal condition. Only 60 per cent of the public accept that dementia is a cause of death, according to national surveys. Mr Batchelor said: "We're changing that narrative. With support, research, and awareness, we can all be part of creating a better future, for Penarth, for Wales, and for the thousands of families affected by dementia every year."
Western Telegraph
a day ago
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Penarth dementia event takes place as UK cases near million
Hosted by Dementia Friendly Penarth, the event at The Paget Rooms brought together dozens of support groups, NHS teams, and community advocates. The event came with one shared mission, to turn Penarth into a more inclusive, informed space for people living with dementia. Mayor Emma Richards with Phil Batchelor and local community lead Miles Utting. (Image: Phil Batchelor) The event was officially opened by Penarth's newly elected mayor, Emma Richards, who stood alongside Dementia Friendly Penarth chair Phil Batchelor and local community lead Miles Utting. More than 20 organisations participated, offering resources, support, and hands-on advice to residents and caregivers. Groups included the Cardiff & Vale NHS Memory Team, Alzheimer's Society, Marie Curie, Telecare, South Wales Police and Penarth Library among many others. The Alzheimer's Society at The Paget Rooms on Thursday, May 22nd. (Image: Phil Batchelor) Mr Batchelor said: "What truly moved me during these discussions was hearing first hand how community members felt empowered by sharing their experiences. "It reminded me that our strength lies in coming together and caring for one another." According to the latest estimates from Alzheimer's Research UK, nearly 1 million people in the UK are currently living with dementia, a figure expected to soar to 1.4 million by 2040. New data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that more than 47,000 people across Wales are currently living with a diagnosed case of dementia. Urban and coastal regions are seeing substantially higher rates. One such hotspot is the Vale of Glamorgan, where an estimated 2,300 to 3,400 people are living with dementia. NHS information desk at The Paget Rooms on Thursday, May 22nd. (Image: Phil Batchelor) Research from the 2023 Dementia Attitudes Monitor reveals only 36 per cent of the UK public believe it's possible to reduce the risk of developing dementia, despite evidence suggesting that up to 40 per cent of cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors like exercise, diet, and smoking. The campaign's theme, Turning Penarth Blue, was a call to action, designed to paint the town with compassion, resources, and real understanding of the challenges people with dementia face every day. While more than half of adults in the UK know someone with dementia, many still fail to recognise it as a terminal condition. Only 60 per cent of the public accept that dementia is a cause of death, according to national surveys. Mr Batchelor said: "We're changing that narrative. With support, research, and awareness, we can all be part of creating a better future, for Penarth, for Wales, and for the thousands of families affected by dementia every year."
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Penarth dementia event takes place as UK cases near million
The event came with one shared mission, to turn Penarth into a more inclusive, informed space for people living with dementia. Mayor Emma Richards with Phil Batchelor and local community lead Miles Utting. (Image: Phil Batchelor) The event was officially opened by Penarth's newly elected mayor, Emma Richards, who stood alongside Dementia Friendly Penarth chair Phil Batchelor and local community lead Miles Utting. More than 20 organisations participated, offering resources, support, and hands-on advice to residents and caregivers. Groups included the Cardiff & Vale NHS Memory Team, Alzheimer's Society, Marie Curie, Telecare, South Wales Police and Penarth Library among many others. The Alzheimer's Society at The Paget Rooms on Thursday, May 22nd. (Image: Phil Batchelor) Mr Batchelor said: "What truly moved me during these discussions was hearing first hand how community members felt empowered by sharing their experiences. "It reminded me that our strength lies in coming together and caring for one another." According to the latest estimates from Alzheimer's Research UK, nearly 1 million people in the UK are currently living with dementia, a figure expected to soar to 1.4 million by 2040. New data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that more than 47,000 people across Wales are currently living with a diagnosed case of dementia. Urban and coastal regions are seeing substantially higher rates. One such hotspot is the Vale of Glamorgan, where an estimated 2,300 to 3,400 people are living with dementia. NHS information desk at The Paget Rooms on Thursday, May 22nd. (Image: Phil Batchelor) Research from the 2023 Dementia Attitudes Monitor reveals only 36 per cent of the UK public believe it's possible to reduce the risk of developing dementia, despite evidence suggesting that up to 40 per cent of cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle factors like exercise, diet, and smoking. The campaign's theme, Turning Penarth Blue, was a call to action, designed to paint the town with compassion, resources, and real understanding of the challenges people with dementia face every day. While more than half of adults in the UK know someone with dementia, many still fail to recognise it as a terminal condition. Only 60 per cent of the public accept that dementia is a cause of death, according to national surveys. Mr Batchelor said: "We're changing that narrative. With support, research, and awareness, we can all be part of creating a better future, for Penarth, for Wales, and for the thousands of families affected by dementia every year."
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘My mom had dementia' – Broadcaster Martin King among ambassadors for Alzheimer's Memory Walk
The Six O'Clock show co-host said he has been a supporter of the charity since his mother's diagnosis of Dementia. His mother Christina died in 2019 after being diagnosed with the condition in 2011. 'The older we get and in that demographic, there will be more cases of Alzheimer's and dementia being diagnosed. The Alzheimer's Society needs as much funding as it can get,' he said. ' My mom had dementia, so that's why we are big fans and big supporters of the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Society.' Mr King sees the Memory Walk as a way of bringing those who have been touched by Alzheimer's closer together. ' The memory walk is an opportunity to remember someone close to you who may be dealing with a diagnosis of Alzheimers. There's memory walks going on all over the country. If you can get involved, please do. Even if you don't have personal experience of Alzheimer's with a loved one, please get involved.' The launch saw ambassadors from around the country together for a Mini Memory Walk around the Aviva Stadium. Last year over 4,000 people took part in the Memory Walk, the biggest one to date. Memory Walk is a nationwide event that will take place in over 35 locations on Sunday, September 21 , 2025, coinciding with World Alzheimer's Day this year. Figures show that there are 30 cases of dementia discovered in Ireland every day, and 64,000 people across Ireland are affected by Alzheimer's and dementia nationally. Among those in attendance at the launch was Dublin's Lord Mayor Emma Blain, who has been personally affected by dementia. Her father, Sydney, has been living with dementia for years but his condition has worsened in recent times. ' Some days are more difficult than others', she told the Irish Independent. 'I would say that the decline has been pretty swift in the last year in particular.' Her mother is the primary carer for her father and says dementia awareness is a top priority in her role as Lord Mayor. 'When I became Lord Mayor, I wanted to raise awareness not only the struggle of people living with dementia, but their carers as well, and how it affects families'. Cllr Blain believes we must remove the stigma surrounding dementia, and recently launched her 'Memories Made in Dublin' exhibition last Sunday in Dublin's City Hall to raise awareness about the condition. 'I invited people from all across Dublin and around the world to share their memories with me about what they love about living in Dublin, their special stories of friendships, of weddings, of a stroll in the park," she said. 'People can go in and relive not only their journey but everybody elses," she added. 'It's really important that when you're in that position that you are able to talk to other people who are going through it.' Other ambassadors supporting today's launch included former Fine Gael Minister Nora Owen, broadcaster Teena Gates, fitness guru Dee Murphy, entrepeneur Ellen Kavanagh Jones and beauty expert Pamela Laird. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is urging people throughout Ireland to show their support for Memory Walk and register online now at to make and share memories on Sunday, September 21 at a location near you.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Davina McCall says ordeal felt like 'Alzheimer's' after surgery
The 57-year-old TV personality and Big Brother legend discussed the memory loss she experienced following brain surgery Davina McCall has shared a frightening experience she had following her brain surgery. The TV star discovered she had a rare 14-mm colloid cyst, which affects only three in every million people, during a chance health check in 2023. Thankfully, the tumour was benign, and in 2024, Davina had neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill successfully remove it. But in a new episode of her podcast, Begin Again, she revealed just how much it affected her memory and perception of everything around her. In a conversation with Heart Radio DJ, Jamie Theakston, she said: "Can I tell you a weird thing? I understand a bit about [symptoms of dementia] because I woke up with no short-term memory, and it's come back very, very slowly over three months. And I struggled with all of those feelings when I was just out of hospital." Jamie said: "Like an Alzheimer's," to which Davina replied: "Yeah, it was. I got paranoid. I got like, insecure. I didn't trust people that I love and trust. It was horrible, but I could feel it coming back. Rather than losing it. "It gave me a new, well, obviously, you know, my dad died of Alzheimer's. It gave me a new appreciation for what he'd been through and for what your dad is going through now, and what it really feels like it, it's extraordinary." Alzheimer's disease is a neurological condition that progressively impairs memory, cognitive abilities, and ultimately, the capacity to perform basic tasks. It is the most common form of dementia, which currently impacts more than 944,000 people in the UK. Davina's father passed away from dementia in 2022, just six years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Davina, 57, previously said that he had consistently been her rock and she'd always slightly 'hero-worshipped' him. Speaking with the Alzheimer's Society in 2017 before he passed away, she said: "I've always slightly hero-worshipped him. So when he started saying funny things like, 'I took the overland train' and 'Call me when your work is less explosive', it didn't take us long to all come together and ask each other if we should be concerned. "The psychologist that first assessed him said that he could have been affected for a while – but he is so clever that he had come up with strategies. That's my dad – see a problem, come up with a strategy." She added: "I have grieved the loss of my old dad." Besides the temporary loss of her memory, Davina also lost a worrying four kilograms of muscle in the aftermath of her brain surgery. While it's been a long road to recovery, she now feels much stronger in her body and mind. "I felt like my memory was coming back and I was feeling stronger in myself, in my mind," she recently told Women's Health. "But working on my body was going to be the last bit of joy to come back to my life." Early red flags of dementia Dementia can come in different forms, and each type can impact people in varying ways. However, a few common red flags usually appear during its onset. According to the NHS, these are: Finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping Memory loss Difficulty concentrating Being confused about time and place Mood changes Struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word Anyone concerned about their symptoms should seek guidance from a medical professional.
