DementiaRoadmap Wales

Promoting living well with dementia across Wales

Early stages

During the early stages of dementia the person themselves or their family or friends may notice difficulties in a number of areas.

This may include:

  • Noticeable problems coming up with the right word or name
  • Trouble remembering names when introduced to new people
  • Having noticeably greater difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings
  • Forgetting material that one has just read
  • Losing or misplacing a valuable object
  • Increasing trouble with planning or organising
  • Forgetfulness of recent events Impaired ability to perform challenging mental arithmetic, for example, counting backward from 100 by 7s
  • Greater difficulty performing complex tasks, such as planning dinner for guests, paying bills or managing finances
  • Forgetfulness about one's own personal history
  • Becoming moody or withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations

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  • Dementia: Reduce your risk in 6 stepsApril 23 2018This document outlines 6 steps that people can take to improve both physical and mental health and significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia.
  • Women and Dementia: A global research overviewJune 5 2015This report published by Alzheimer’s Disease International explores the main issues affecting women in relation to dementia from an international perspective.
  • Dementia DiariesJune 4 2015Dementia Diaries is a national project that brings together people’s diverse experiences of living with dementia as a series of audio diaries.
  • Information about Lewy Body DementiaApril 27 2015This handbook published by the Lewy Body Society aims to help people with Lewy body dementia (LBD), their families and health care professionals learn more about the disease and find ways and resources to help them cope with it.
  • What is dementia?April 2 2014This resource will help practitioners to understand that dementia is more than just difficulties with memory. Dementia is not a single disease but a term used to describe a group of symptoms.
  • How common is dementia?April 6 2014According to the Alzheimer's Society there are around 800,000 people in the UK with dementia. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia, and two-thirds of people with dementia are women.
  • Award in Understanding DementiaMarch 18 2015The Alzheimer's Society and the Royal Society for Public Health have joined forces to create a new qualification to help people understand more about dementia.
  • Dementia Friends – bookcase analogyOctober 16 2018In this film Natalie Rodriguez, Dementia Friends Champion, uses a bookcase analogy to describe how dementia may affect a person. This simple explanation, orginally devised by Dr Gemma Jones, can be helpful for Dementia Friends Champions to explain dementia to others.
  • Blackfriars Consensus on promoting brain healthMay 3 2014The Blackfriars Consensus, published by the UK Health Forum and Public Health England, explores the potential for incorporation of dementia risk reduction into current approaches for non-communicable diseases.
  • What is vascular dementia?December 7 2011Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. This Alzheimer's Society factsheet outlines the causes, symptoms and treatments available for vascular dementia.
  • Women’s experiences of dementiaJune 1 2015The 'Women's experiences of dementia' website contains a wealth of stories which highlight the experiences of women affected by dementia.
  • What is Alzheimer’s disease?March 7 2012Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 496,000 people in the UK. This Alzheimer's Society factsheet outlines the symptoms and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and describes what treatments are currently available.
  • What is dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)?June 7 2013This Alzheimer's Society factsheet outlines the causes, symptoms and treatments available for Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
  • Guidelines for Helping the Confused Older PersonMay 16 2019These guidelines are designed to help someone be able to provide assistance to an older person experiencing confusion or the cognitive changes associated with dementia although may prove useful for any age group with dementia.
  • The Sound Doctor: Getting the best out of life with dementiaMarch 23 2015The Sound Doctor is a website full of films developed to help individuals, their relatives and carers to better understand the condition so that they can all take control and get the most out of life.
  • Women and dementia: A marginalised majorityMarch 8 2015This report published by Alzheimer's Research UK reveals that dementia has become the leading cause of death among British women and that women are far more likely to end up as carers of those with dementia than men, suffering physical and emotional stress and job losses in the process.
  • Useful Apps for Dementia Patients & CarersApril 25 2019There are many apps available that can be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet  that could be beneficial to people with dementia. Apps are available for daily aid, memory training, relaxation, care giver information and games.
  • Living with early-stage dementiaNovember 20 2019Living with early-stage dementia is a comprehensive guide published by Age UK, also known as Age Cymru in Wales.
  • Caring for someone with dementiaCaring for someone with dementia is a comprehensive booklet published by Age UK, whose network includes Age Cymru in Wales.
  • Dementia Superheroes – Helping to make Dementia a little less scary for kidsAugust 7 2019It can be hard for a child to see someone they love with dementia. The Dementia Superheroes are cartoons designed by the Alzheimers Society, to help make dementia a little less scary for your child. 
  • Alzheimer’s and Dementia Medication ManagementFebruary 27 2022Those with dementia may start to forget to take their pills or refuse to take them. Here are some medication management tips for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s and dementia medication management (singlecare.com) Proper medication management is critical for people living with dementia, and ...
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