Actress Carey Mulligan announced as ambassador of Alzheimer's Society at start of Dementia Awareness Week

It’s Dementia Awareness Week, (20th – 26th May) and Alzheimer’s Society has announced actress Carey Mulligan as their newest ambassador.

The Bafta-winning actress has chosen to support Alzheimer’s Society as her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004. Carey joined people with dementia and their carers at an event in Kentish Town.

Speaking at the event, Alzheimer’s Society ambassador, Carey said: “I am committed to helping the Alzheimer’s Society in any way I can. My family and I rely on the help of organisations like Alzheimer’s Society to help us understand the disease and guide us in the care of my grandmother. It’s been a privilege to meet so many people with dementia.”

Alzheimer’s Society recently published new statistics which found that 44 per cent of people currently know or used to know someone with dementia.

It also found that 61 per cent of people are worried about either themselves or someone they know developing dementia in later life. Yet despite their fears less than 16 per cent of people want to know more about the condition.

Those who are keen to learn more about the condition are those aged 18 to 24, (25 per cent) in comparison, with only 15 per cent of over 55 year olds.

Carey said: “I hope to do all I can to help defeat dementia and that’s why I wanted to get involved in Dementia Awareness Week™. By speaking about my grandmother’s dementia I hope to shine a light on the condition.

“This Dementia Awareness Week™ we are asking people to 'remember the person' by looking beyond someone’s diagnosis of dementia and engaging with them.”

Jeremy Hughes, Alzheimer’s Society chief executive, said: “We are extremely excited to have Carey’s support. There are currently 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK and this is set to rise to one million in ten years yet there is still much stigma surrounding the condition.

“By speaking out about her experiences Carey is helping us to reach new audiences and will hopefully get more people talking about the condition.”

The You Gov poll, commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society and Saga Homecare, also found:

• People aged 55 or over are the most worried, (66 per cent) but dementia is even worrying over half of those aged between 18-24, (61 per cent).

• Women are much more concerned about dementia than men with 70 per cent worrying about the condition in some way in comparison to 56 per cent of men.

For more information on Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s Society has produced five things you should know about dementia. The key message is that dementia is not a natural part of ageing and it is possible to live well with dementia. This information and more can be downloaded at alzheimers.org.uk/remembertheperson

Image: Carey Mulligan at an Alzheimer's Society event