One in four people with symptoms of dementia have had to wait more than two years to get a diagnosis, research released by Alzheimer's Society today has revealed. The study also suggested that almost half of dementia sufferers found that confusing their symptoms with old age was a key reason why it took them so long to get a diagnosis.
Dementia is caused when a disease damages the nerve cells in the brain, leading to a difficulty in the brain being able to work as effectively as before. There are different diseases which all affect the brain in different ways and these are identified by the different types of dementia.
Around 19 out of 20 people with dementia will have one of four main types. More than 520,000 people in the UK are estimated to have dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease, making it the most common cause of dementia.
