Our work with the Young Dementia Network

Two of YPWD Berkshire’s trustees, Peter Watson and Dr Jacqui Hussey are members of the Young Dementia Network steering group.  This is a national group which comprises people living with young onset dementia, their family members and supporters, voluntary organisations, such as YPWD Berkshire, and professionals from health and social care with expertise in the field of young onset dementia. 

We are proud to be part of the Network which has worked hard to raise awareness of the different needs of younger people living with dementia and has published guidance and toolkits for the public and GPs, for instance. Our next task is to influence how a diagnosis of young onset dementia is recorded on GP registers so that we can work out how many people in the country have dementia before the age of 65 and also to recommend ways to improve the support available.

Peter Watson also sits on the Dementia Programme Board (a group that oversees government policy on dementia) so hopefully the Network is in a strong position of influence.  Those of you who know Peter, will know that he speaks with persuasion!

If you click the link below you can see a good example of the work that the Young Dementia Network has recently completed: a symptom checklist.

Feedback so far has been that if it had been previously available it may have helped relatives and friends to recognise symptoms and signs of dementia earlier! 

Tell us what you think, we’d like to hear from you, email contact@ypwd.info