New Website Launched to Provide Support to World's 24 Million People with Alzheimer's

Published by Craig@Context for Context Public Relations Ltd in Health

To coincide with World Alzheimers Day on 21 September, a new website has been launched www.alzheimers-support.com, to provide information, advice and support to people with Alzheimers, their families and carers across the world.

Alzheimers disease is the leading cause of dementia in older people, and it is estimated that there are 24 million people worldwide with dementia, a figure which is set to rise to 81 million people by 2040, affecting one in 14 people over 65 and one in three over 90. In the UK, the financial cost is over £17bn per annum, mostly made up of accommodation, lost earnings and unpaid tax.

The new Alzheimers Support website is the first site of its kind to provide truly global support, offering advice in multiple languages on solutions that support safety and greater independence in the home, and how to access them.

Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimers Research Trust, said: 25 million people, or 42% of the UK population, are affected by dementia through knowing a close friend or family member with the condition. While our work to find a cure is ongoing, demand for support services and mechanisms looks set to rise dramatically over the next three decades as the number of people with dementia doubles.

Telecare is helping thousands of people with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia to live more independent lives, and the website shows how telecare is being used to successfully manage the risks associated with Alzheimers, enabling people to remain safe, well and independent in a familiar and comforting home environment for longer.

According to Ali Rogan, marketing director at Tunstall: "The emotional and psychological impact on people living with Alzheimer's, their families and friends can be immense, and the prospect of residential care can prove distressing and detrimental. Telecare promotes an alternative, more person-centred model of care, which enables people to remain in a familiar home environment for longer.

"Telecare also provides invaluable support and reassurance for families and carers. It can allow a carer to have a good night's sleep, safe in the knowledge that should their loved one walk away from their house at night, cause the bath to overflow or even leave their bed for a prolonged period of time, they will be alerted quickly and appropriately."

Real-life case studies help visitors to the site understand how telecare can help them in the context of their everyday lives, effectively managing common risks associated with Alzheimers. Unobtrusive sensors monitor potential risks such as floods, fire, gas leaks and intruders, automatically alerting a 24-hour monitoring centre if activated, so that appropriate and timely action can be taken by a local key holder, family member, carer or the emergency services.

Telecare also plays an invaluable role in supporting the families and carers of people with Alzheimers, helping to reduce some of the physical and emotional pressures they face, by providing the reassurance that risks can be effectively monitored and managed, and that help is on hand when needed. It enables them to spend time away from the person they care for, increasing their own independence and quality of life.

Tunstall is currently working with customers to trial its Vega "safer walking technology", a solution which has been designed to offer high quality care and support for people with Alzheimers, giving users greater independence and the freedom to walk about in a safe environment, and offering valuable peace of mind to families and carers.

The Tunstall Vega systems wrist-worn locatable alarm device uses assisted GPS and GSM technology which recognises when the user goes outside a preset safe zone, alerting a monitoring center so that a timely and appropriate response can be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual.

For more information and advice on the role telecare can play in supporting people with Alzheimers and their carers, visit www.alzheimers-support.com