Pioneering Dementia Research roadshow set to visit Lincolnshire

Members of staff from Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) have volunteered to partner up with Join Dementia Research and the Alzheimer’s Society in a series of community roadshows.

The pioneering roadshows provide an opportunity to put questions to local dementia support workers about the condition which affects around 60,000 people across the East Midlands.

Tracy McCranor, LPFT’s research and development coordinator, said the team is delighted to be taking part in the innovative roadshows at Grantham’s Downtown store on 10 March 2016.

“The research team is working hard to promote Join Dementia Research. We want to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to register and take part in trials appropriate for them.

"The response has been very positive and we are really looking forward to being part of the Lincolnshire roadshows," she said.

For the first time, the event will also be a chance to find out more about Join Dementia Research, a campaign run by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) which is compiling a database of people who are interested in taking part in research relating to dementia - its causes, potential cures and everyday care.

The roadshows aim to increase local awareness and understanding of the condition and offer free information and advice to anyone with queries about the condition, as well as helping to promote the benefits of an early diagnosis.

They are open to people currently living with dementia, who are worried about a friend or relative’s memory, or who just have questions about the condition.

Diane Smith, regional operations manager for Alzheimer’s Society in the East Midlands, said: "Dementia is one of the biggest health and social care challenges of our generation. Yet it continues to be a condition blighted with stigma and lack of understanding. This can mean that people who are worried about dementia in some way, or simply want to find out more may not know where to turn.

"The Dementia Community Roadshow is the perfect way to get that information and support out to the people who need it. We’re here to provide people with information about where to get help and encourage those with concerns about their memory to visit their GP."

Dementia currently affects 850,000 people in the UK and this figure is expected to rise to over one million by 2021. Taking part in research allows people with dementia to learn more about their condition and feel they are contributing to the effort to find treatments for it in the future.

Wendy Mitchell, 50, is living with early-onset dementia and is taking part in a study, aiming to determine whether an antibiotic is effective in reducing the rate of cognitive and functional decline over a two-year period.

"Being involved in research makes me feel valued. When you’re diagnosed with a dementia there’s not a lot you can do but develop coping strategies to outmanoeuvre the disease. However taking part in research makes me feel as though I’m doing something which might help stop my daughters feeling the same inevitability a diagnosis currently brings.

"Research doesn’t just mean clinical trials. Social research is equally important for finding the best ways to live for those of us already diagnosed," Ms Mitchell said.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research and development at Alzheimer’s Society, a partner with Join Dementia said: "The tour bus is a fantastic way of enabling people to find out more about how they can get involved in dementia research.

"We are delighted that more people are being given the opportunity to take part in vital research. Not only is it essential for us to make progress towards new treatments and better care, but it could also empower people to learn more about their condition and benefit from additional support."

Join Dementia Research was launched on 24 February 2015 as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge of Dementia. Around 16,000 people have signed up so far and over 4,600 people have already taken part in research studies across the UK.

There are currently 69 research studies on Join Dementia Research, including over 40 specifically looking for volunteers with dementia or memory problems. More than ten large drug trials are testing potential new treatments for dementia, including a trial of the diabetes drug liraglutide in people with Alzheimer’s disease, which was able to reverse memory impairments in earlier animal studies.

Other projects currently looking for participants include a study identifying genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, a study investigating what helps people to live well with dementia, and a study testing online brain training in people over 50 who do not have dementia.

For more information on Join Dementia Research, visit www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk.