Marlyn with representatives of Alzheimer Scotland
Marlyn was one of the signatories of the motion on Dementia Awareness Week proposed by Irene Oldfather MSP which reads :
Dementia Awareness Week 2007 -
4 to 8 June— That the Parliament acknowledges that Dementia Awareness Week
takes place between 4 and 8 June 2007; welcomes representatives from Alzheimer
Scotland to the Garden Lobby of the Parliament during that week where they will
host an exhibition to raise awareness of the disease; is aware that in 2007
there are over 60,000 people in Scotland diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and
that 1,350 to 1,650 of these people are under 65; notes with concern that with
an ageing population this figure is set to increase and that Alzheimer Scotland
predicts that by 2031 there will be approximately 102,000 to 114,000 people with
dementia; recognises that there is a need for the Scottish Executive to take
decisive action now to accommodate this increasingly vulnerable group in our
society; welcomes the publication on 4 June 2007 of Alzheimer Scotland’s latest
report, The Dementia Epidemic – Where Scotland is Now and the Challenge Ahead;
notes that the report highlights the large and rapidly-growing number of people
with dementia in Scotland and the economic impact that this has today and will
have in the future; recognises that there are steps that everyone can take to
reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease; welcomes Alzheimer Scotland’s
latest information campaign, Good for You, Good for Your Brain, which
emphasises the small but significant lifestyle changes that people can make to
reduce the risk, such as eating healthily, staying mentally and physically
active and maintaining social networks; but accepts that it is the
responsibility of government to implement strategies to better accommodate the
needs of dementia sufferers and their families, and therefore calls on the
Executive to increase funding for care services, both in the immediate and
longer term, improve training in dementia care, restore the availability of drug
treatments to people with mild Alzheimer’s disease and make dementia a national
priority.