Services for younger people with dementia

Dementia is not a condition that exclusively affects older people. Estimates suggest that there are 15,000 younger people with dementia in the UK, although the actual figure may be three times higher. Service provision remains slow to acknowledge and provide specialist provision for this group of people, and as a consequence many younger people affected by dementia and their families do not receive specialist assessment, diagnosis and intervention. Whilst absolute numbers of younger people with dementia seems small in any one area, in reality calculations made to estimate the services needed should recognize the high level of interventions required by the person affected by dementia and his or her family. A comprehensive service that provides specialist assessment, diagnosis and interventions, within the context of a multidisciplinary and multi-agency team, is required as are specific provisions for meaningful activity and occupation relevant to the life experiences of the person and his or her family.