Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was the leading cause of death in England and Wales in 2022 and 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In 2022, dementia and Alzheimer's accounted for 65,967 deaths (11.4 per cent), up from 61,250 (10.4 per cent) in 2021.

Alzheimer’s Research UK described the figures as “a stark reminder of the terrible and far-reaching effects of dementia on our society”.

ONS figures for 2023 showed that for the second year running, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease continued to be the leading cause of death.

There were 66,876 deaths with an underlying cause of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 11.6 per cent of all deaths registered in 2023.

Kate Dunn from Garndolbenmaen, Gwynedd, is raising money for, and awareness of dementia after seeing its devastating effect on her parents.

Her dad Ray passed away in January 2023 and her mum Chris, who was diagnosed last year, currently lives in Bryn Seiont Newydd care home in Caernarfon.

Kate is walking all 130 miles of the Anglesey Coast Path in memory of her dad, and also for her mum.

She set herself a fundraising target of £500 and did her first walk on 2 March from Aberffraw to Rhosneigr.

Since then Kate has walked another three sections and has quickly reach her initial target.

“I have revised it to £1,000 and currently have just over £800 in the kitty for Dementia UK,” Kate said.

“I have walked some sections alone, and on others have been accompanied by friends and family members.

“I've still got a long way to go but I am loving the challenge so far, and seeing parts of Anglesey that I've not explored before.”

The 54-year-old worked for the NHS before taking a job at Tesco, Porthmadog, to spend more time with her parents.

“I decided to take an early pension from the NHS when dad was still alive as it gave me more flexibility to spend time with him,” she said.

Commenting on the effect of dementia on her parents, Kate said: “When dad died he was in his 90s.

“Poor mum struggled to care for him for a couple of years before he went into a home.

“He became quite aggressive with his type of dementia which was very out of character. He was the nicest man, the nicest dad, but dementia can do this to people.

“Mum has long-term memory still and can remember our childhoods, but can’t tell you what she had for lunch.”

As well as raising money and awareness, Kate’s walk around Anglesey is also helping her.

“It has given me the chance to clear my head and heart of some negative stuff.

“Lots of things that come to your mind with dementia, like guilt and other things.

“And I’ve been able to talk to others affected by dementia. I made a t-shirt with a picture of my parents on it and people stop me and share their stories.”

Kate also felt strongly supported in Gwynedd.

“To be fair we had lots of help,” she said.

“My mum and dad’s social worker helped a lot, and where they lived in Criccieth, there is a dementia day centre and they were very helpful there.

“Mum was given a dementia clock with the days and the time on it because she got confused with day and night. Practical things like that have been helpful.

“And I know so many people going through this. It’s good to know it’s not just me.”

Getting a diagnosis for her dad was “fairly easy”.

“He was in a home and a consultant psychiatrist diagnosed his dementia.

“But mum went through the memory clinic who said she was okay, but we believed she was suffering from more than just memory loss, and when she had to stay in hospital one time, she was observed and diagnosed there.

“The memory clinic assessment is an assessment at that point in time and you could be having a good day, so if you’re not happy, do go back and ask again. Don’t accept what you’re told if you think there’s more to it.

“And if someone has dementia, or has a loved one with it, I would say that everyone is different and it affects everyone differently, so there’s no right or wrong way to deal with this. You can Google symptoms and outcomes but it will be different for everyone.

“Also, accept any help there is, and keep talking to people. And remember, the person with dementia is still the person that you love so just hold on to that and keep trying to keep them and their memories alive.

“Everyone knows somebody with this, and it affects those individuals with it, and those around them, differently.”

Kate has been taking time off work to complete sections of her fundraising walk whilst also seeing her mum every other day.

She is currently about a third of the way through the walk and thinks she will have finished it by the end of June.

“I smashed my target of £500 and now I’m aiming for ££1,000 for Dementia UK who do a lot of good work nationally to give carers a rest as well as help those with dementia.”

If you would like to donate to Kate’s fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/katedunn-coastpathwalk?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

But what is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s?

The Alzheimer’s Society website explains: “The main difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia is that Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain, whereas dementia is a collection of symptoms.

“Alzheimer’s disease causes cognitive decline, eventually leading to dementia. It’s the most common reason why people get dementia.”

Dementia UK state: “Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive disorders affecting the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“Understanding the various types of dementia means people can get the right support to help them live better with the condition.

“Dementia is a progressive condition that gets gradually worse over time. It can be helpful to think of dementia progressing in three stages – early, middle and late stages.”

As Kate said, there are different types of dementia, and it affects everyone differently.

Someone who is trying to help people navigate the differences is another ex-NHS staff member,

Donna Chappell set up a dementia service on Pen-Llŷn in 2024 called Ty Dol.

The service supports people with dementia, their loved ones and carers, residential care staff, as well as those with other long-term conditions with one-to-one activity sessions, online support and by hosting the Ty Dol Club across community hubs in Llŷn and Eifionydd.

The service is gaining recognition, and has been nominated for the Health and Wellbeing Start Up of the Year Award in Wales.

In Ceredigion, there are also a number of support groups and services available.

One of those can he found at HAHAV. Caffi Cofion takes place every Wednesday at Plas Antaron, Aberystwyth (2pm-4pm).

“If you or someone you care for is affected by dementia, we’d love to welcome you to our weekly Afternoon Tea experience at Plas Antaron,” HAHAV’s website explains. “Best of all – it’s absolutely free!

“Relax and unwind while the piano plays, enjoy the food and drink. Each week we’ll round off the experience with an activity – it might be a guest speaker, arts and crafts, musicians or some relaxation therapy. Carers will have a chance to meet and chat with other carers, to share experience, advice and tips.”

For more information call 01970 611550 or email [email protected].

More help is available in Borth.

The hub hosts a creative dementia support group on Mondays for people with memory problems and their relatives and carers to have fun in good company.

The hub’s Helen Williams said: “Our dementia Friendly group has been meeting on Monday mornings for several years.

“We started in January 2020 and throughout the pandemic we delivered support activity packs and went back to our Monday morning slot in Borth Community Hub as soon as we could.

“We meet from 10am -12pm for a fun creative session.

“The group leader is Martine Ormerod who is assisted by our volunteer Joy.

“There is no charge to join us and all materials are free. No previous experience is needed.”

“We also have a special drop in session on Monday, 11 May to mark Dementia Awareness Week.”

For further information and to discuss support with transport to and from Borth Community Hub, contact [email protected].

You can also find out more via Borth Community Hub’s Instagram and Facebook pages and on the hub’s own website, and you can also email [email protected] or call 07726 420129.

Over the last few weeks the hub’s dementia friendly group and older adult creative group have been busy creating artwork for to exhibit at Borth Fest.

Their theme this year is the fauna and flora of Ceredigion.

The groups have been joined by Becky Underwood and Emma Gerbino from Age Cymru Dyfed, school children from Ysgol Craig YrWylfa and a number of volunteers.

Their exhibition will be on show to everyone as part of Borth Fest in May.

Both Borth Hub and HAHAV’s dementia groups are supported by the Margaret and Alick Potter Trust. The trust provides grants to assist anyone who is living with dementia in Ceredigion, and for the people who care for them.

Applications are welcome at any time.

Examples of grants made previously include one to Ceredigion Forget-Me-Knot dementia-friendly social group in Aberaeron, another to a weekly dementia afternoon tea in Aberystwyth, and others to various individuals for an hour’s session of 1:1 art therapy every week.

Transport costs to social and therapeutic activities, costs for additional respite care in exceptional circumstances and money towards equipment to help with care at home have also been granted by the trust.

Grants can not be made retrospectively, nor for anything that can be funded by social or health services, and a confirmation of diagnosis may be asked for.

Contact the secretary for an application form: Joan Miller, Y Nyth, Capel Bangor, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3LR. You can also call 07794 674339 or email [email protected].

Over the border in Powys is Cartref Dyfi, which specialises in dementia care, residential care, and respite services.

The purpose-built, 28 bed single-storey home is in the centre of Machynlleth.

Powys County Council’s website suggests a range of other websites where help can be found, and includes a link to Deep, the UK network of Dementia Voices – https://www.dementiavoices.org.uk/.

“DEEP brings the network of individual groups together to share experiences, learn from and to support each other,” their website explains.

“Some groups are formed for support and friendship in the beginning. Many groups go on to become involved in campaigning and awareness raising about dementia. They all matter and they all aim to enable people to have a voice about what matters to them.”

On the website you can find out more about the DEEP network.

You can also download lots of resources on a range of topics, created or co-created by members of the DEEP Network.

But what does the future of healthcare for dementia and Alzheimer’s look like, and can anything be done to slow down its progress?

It was reported in the ‘Guardian’ that researchers have developed a blood test for patients with thinking and memory problems to see if they have Alzheimer’s and to check how far it has progressed.

“The team behind the work say the test could help medics decide which drugs would be most suitable for patients,” the article explains.

“For example, new drugs such as donanemab and lecanemab can help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, but only in people in the early stages of the disease.”

Hopefully, with the help of people like Kate and other fundraisers throughout the country, as well as government funding, researchers will find a cure.