Join Dementia Research
A new online and telephone service has launched to help people take part in dementia research studies.
Join Dementia Research will help to accelerate the pace of dementia research by allowing people from across Greater Manchester with and without dementia to register their interest in studies, helping researchers find the right participants at the right time.
Dementia affects over 33,000 people in Greater Manchester, with over a third of the UK population having a close friend or family member affected.
A new national poll has shown that almost two thirds of the general public (62%) would be willing to take part in dementia research, but more than four out of five people (81%) wouldn’t know how to volunteer. Join Dementia Research is designed to overcome these barriers and provide everyone with the opportunity to play a role changing the outlook for people with dementia now and in the future.
The joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk website offers a secure and easy way for someone to register their interest, discover studies that interest them, and ultimately connect with researchers to take part in their studies.
Anyone aged 18 years or over can sign up themselves, or on behalf of someone else, either by registering online or by contacting the helplines of Alzheimer’s Research UK (0300 111 5 111) and Alzheimer’s Society (0300 222 1122). By signing up to the service, people give permission for researchers to contact them with details of studies in their area that match their profile. People can then decide if they would like to participate in those studies on a case-by-case basis. By registering, people do not have to take part in any studies and can opt-out at any time.
Current research studies range from clinical trials of new treatments to surveys identifying what works in improving the quality of life of people with dementia.
Facts about dementia
- Dementia is used to describe a group of symptoms including memory loss, confusion, mood changes and difficulty with day-to-day tasks.
- Every 3.2 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia, and the number of people affected is predicted to double in the next 30 years.
- Dementia is caused by brain diseases, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for around two thirds of cases.
- One person will develop dementia every three minutes.
- Dementia costs the UK over £26 billion a year.
- There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Delaying the onset of dementia by five years would cut by a third the number of people affected by dementia.
- 1.3-1.6% of Greater Manchester population have dementia (about 33,000 people)
Approx 18,000 people have been diagnosed - 1,543 people, which is 8.5% are currently involved in clinical studies in Greater Manchester
