Internationale Zeitschrift für Neurorehabilitation

Early Stage Work with Raising Awareness about Vascular Dementia in the African-Caribbean Community in London

Abstract

David Truswell*

The impact of dementia on the UKs Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities has been identified at the highest levels of dementia policy making in the UK but this has yet to translate in to changes in how services are developed in local areas. The African-Caribbean population in the UK is demographically the oldest of the ‘Black’ categories in the UK census. This population has known higher risk of developing vascular dementia and early onset dementia. The raised incidence of Type II in this population also suggests it could have higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Community organisations will need to be proactive in insisting on more attention being paid to the specific service needs of this and other minority ethnic communities. Culture Dementia UK is a community organisation showing how community groups can provide benefits in disseminating information and developing appropriate services that cannot be achieved by mainstream services alone. Building on these initiatives is an important next step that needs supporting by mainstream research.