Living with dementia

Available for over a year

A major new international study predicts that the number of people diagnosed with dementia will more than double by 2050. Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia, who led the study, predict that new cases worldwide will rise from some 11 million each year to around 25 million. That increase will not only have an impact on the families affected but also on health and care services. In our conversations, we bring together people with dementia to share their experiences. “If I say I have Alzheimer’s, it’s like the end of the world but it’s not the end of the world,” Helen tells us. “I try to help researchers to understand that I’m still the same Helen…I’m still me.” We also hear from carers, including Amanda who looks after her 91-year-old mother in Ghana. They discuss the stigma around dementia and the pressure it can put on families. (Photo: Amanda and her mother sit in their living room on cream, PVC sofa. Amanda's mother (L) has short, grey, afro hair and wears a royal blue dress with traditional red and yellow African design print. Amanda (R) has her arm around her mum's shoulder. She has shoulder length hair, straightened and parted in the middle and is wearing glasses. Credit: Amanda and her mother) Presenter: James Reynolds BBC producer: Lindsay Brown and Akwasi Sarpong Boffin Media producers: Anne McNaught and Richard Hollingham Editors: Harriet Oliver and Arja Haikonen A Boffin Media production in partnership with the BBC World Service Outside Source team.