Antrim and Newtownabbey has approximately 24,500 people over the age of 65 living in the Borough. In Northern Ireland, approximately 19,000 people live with dementia and this number is predicted to rise to 60,000 by 2050 (DHSSPS, 2011).
Dementia is not a normal part of ageing however, as individuals live longer and independently at home, the risk of developing age based cognitive decline and dementia can increase.
There are multiple benefits of early diagnosis of Dementia and the person affected has the right to the correct diagnosis and to the appropriate treatment. This could potentially delay progression of the disease in some cases.