By Henry Simmons, Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland
Scotland is mourning the loss of two football legends after Denis Law and Jimmy Calderwood both died from dementia.
Alzheimer Scotland is deeply saddened at this news and our thoughts are with their families. The deaths of Denis and Jimmy are a tragedy and bring home how non-discriminating and devastating dementia is.
It is one of the leading causes of death in Scotland and accounts for more than one in 10 of all UK deaths.
Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. Dementia is the name given to a group of symptoms caused by different diseases that damage the brain. While it's most common in over-65s, dementia can affect all age groups.
As many as 90,000 people in Scotland are believed to be living with dementia, and that number is predicted to increase by 50 per cent in the next 20 years. Some estimates suggest one in three people born today could go on to develop dementia.
With figures like this, we cannot afford to be complacent.
Dementia is an illness that has struck at the heart of hundreds of thousands of families nationwide, and yet it often feels like it’s left at the back of the queue when it comes to spending on the NHS and wider research.
At Alzheimer Scotland, it is our mission to make sure nobody faces dementia alone.
We work hard every day to make sure people receive the right support, care and attention, which starts with an accurate and timely diagnosis. The earlier this happens, the sooner a person can access support and treatments that can improve symptoms and slow down the disease.
But too many people are forced to wait too long for an official diagnosis.
That’s why it’s vital the health service receives enough investment to put in place the systems and infrastructure that is needed to give people a diagnosis as early as possible. This must then be followed up by quality, personalised post diagnostic support.
Another key element of Alzheimer Scotland’s work is in dementia prevention. We help people of all ages to look after their brain health so they reduce their dementia risk.
Sports stars like Denis and Jimmy face a much bigger risk here. Research shows that former professional footballers are almost three-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population, bringing the need for preventive work into even sharper focus for this section of our community.
At Alzheimer Scotland, we’d like to see more research in this area to see if the current guidelines to protect the brain health of footballers are effective – or whether more measures are needed.
We owe a huge debt to all the sporting heroes who have shown great bravery in sharing their dementia experiences. By speaking publicly, they’re helping to remove the associated stigma and discrimination.
It’s so important to build on that legacy and to ensure that everyone affected by dementia gets the support they need.
There must be thousands of people right now who are worried about their brain health and their risk of getting dementia.
We want to see more people having the confidence to come forward – free from the fear of stigma – to ask for help and support – we are here for you.
Raising awareness is a big part of the reason Alzheimer Scotland is organising our charity football match, Shooting Stars, in March at Falkirk stadium.
By bringing together famous faces from sport and entertainment, we want people to learn more about this condition, about easy ways they can look after their brain health and about the help and support Alzheimer Scotland offers.
Let’s honour the memories of heroes like Denis Law and Jimmy Calderwood by making dementia a priority and by taking the vital next steps to kick this disease into touch once and for all.