Dementia Is a Global Challenge — a New Report Asks If Anyone Is Ready to Meet It?

A policy paper from the University of Birmingham stresses the urgency for national governments, health and social services, businesses, families, and communities to find new avenues to support the growing global populace of persons with dementia, as well as the relatives and friends who care for them, according to Medical Xpress . The authors note businesses that are sensitive to the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers could benefit, as the disease impacts a large percentage of the global workforce. Among the report's recommendations is new research to focus on the causes and nature of frailty, which should encompass the collection of clinical, biological, social, and psychological data as people age in order to identify those most at risk of frailty, and target the condition's drivers to devise new approaches to retard or reverse frailty. Also advised are actions to help people identify themselves as "carers," in addition to existing support resources in everyday, community settings.