Dementia in Younger People
It is possible for younger people to be affected by dementia.
Early onset dementia refers to a progressive degeneration of the brain before the age of 65. The symptoms are the same as those in older people and types of dementia are also the same, including Alzheimer's disease which accounts for around a third of cases. It is also common for people with learning difficulties such as Down's Syndrome to develop dementia in their 50s and 60s.
However, a younger person's needs are typically very different. For someone in their middle years, who may have a young family, financial and work responsibilities, dementia is a devasting shock, and likely to generate a multitude of needs requiring specialist responses.
The use of 65 years is arbitrary but is widely employed by the medical profession as the cut off point between 'younger' and 'older' people. This cut-off can be a barrier to care as many services for people for dementia are designed for the over 65s.
Alzheimer's Support has produced a handbook containing information and resources for younger people with dementia and their family carers in Wiltshire.
Click here to download Information for Younger People with Dementia
Click here for the Alzheimer's Society factsheet on dementia in younger people:
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=164
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Download Wiltshire's dementia handbook
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