A new checklist has been released by the Alzheimer's Society to help people identify dementia symptoms at an early stage and gain quicker access to support. Research conducted by the society, in conjunction with the Royal College of GPs, found that one in four people, according to a study of 1,019 dementia sufferers and their carers, experienced symptoms of the disorder two years before being diagnosed.
The number one reason - given by 42 per cent of respondents - for that gap between the first signs of dementia and its diagnosis was that the symptoms were being mistaken by individuals and families as just a consequence of growing old. In total, 26 per cent of the people surveyed went more than two years before receiving a diagnosis, with a quarter of those only getting one, or seeking one, when they had reached crisis point.
Included in the checklist are:
