'I'm determined to fight this and break the stigma'

"I just have to stay mentally active 24/7, when I'm not I start to feel the dementia creeping in, but I'm determined to fight this as best as I can."

Ellen Turner from Bishop's Hull near Taunton was diagnosed with vascular dementia at the age of 64.

After her mum was diagnosed with dementia, Turner started noticing similar signs in herself. At first doctors were reluctant to test her because she was 'too young to have dementia', but an MRI scan and cognitive tests later confirmed she did.

Now, four years on, the former nurse told BBC Radio Somerset as part of their Wake Up Call series she is determined to break the stigma surrounding the disease, and encourage people of all ages to get tested.

Turner noticed she was becoming increasingly forgetful which prompted her to seek help.

"I think deep down I knew that it was dementia, and it just put things into perspective so that I could move on and start to put my life in order," she said.

She can no longer drive, and her husband takes care of the cooking, which she describes as a "frustrating loss of independence".

"But being the stubborn person that I am, I'm extremely passionate about breaking the stigma that's connected with dementia so that there is the same compassion as with cancer."

"The only way I can describe it as being on a train journey, I don't know at which stop the dementia is going to creep in and increase in my head," she said.

"But in the meantime, I'm throwing myself into art, sewing, gardening, and just basically keeping myself as active as I can."

She adds that social interaction is also vital, which is why she goes to a weekly dementia group at St James Church in Taunton.

"I would encourage anyone who is starting to get increasingly forgetful to go and see your GP and please get tested."

Cat Medley, the south west regional manager at Alzheimer's Society, said their research was looking at supporting people to live healthier lives with dementia.

Medley said there are lots of types of dementia, including vascular dementia which is caused by a vascular event in the brain like a stroke, while Alzheimer's is caused by proteins building up in the brain and disrupting neurotransmitters.

She added that a healthy lifestyle can help avoid developing dementia, but some types are linked to genetics, increasing your chance of being diagnosed before the age of 60.

"We don't know what is causing the build of proteins for something like Alzheimer's disease, but we're hopeful that some treatments are going to come that we're researching at the moment to delay the onset and reduce the symptoms," she said.

"I can honestly say this is the most hopeful point of my career with all these advancements that are now happening medically."

As well as memory loss, she said people should look out for difficulty concentrating or planning, and struggling to find your words.

The charity has a symptoms checklist on their website and she urged people to open up to people they trust.

In turn, Medley called for people to avoid being dismissive of people worrying about their symptoms.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.