Staffordshire: Dementia cases to double in next decade

The number of dementia sufferers in Staffordshire is set to soar by more than half over the next 14 years, reports The Sentinel.

According to research commissioned by the Alzheimer's Society, there are currently 9,537 people with dementia in Staffordshire - 6.8% of the population.

But the study, which was carried out by the London School of Economics and King's College London, estimates there will be 14,785 sufferers in the county by 2021, a rise of 55%.

And the number of younger people developing dementia is expected to rise due to an increase in binge-drinking.

Elaine Ivis, West Midlands area manager of the Alzheimer's Society, said the predicted rise was mainly due to the ageing population.

She said: "Dementia is set to increase by a phenomenal amount in Staffordshire.

"The first thing we need to do is accept this is going to happen. There is still a big stigma about mental health and also about being old."

But some under-65s suffer from dementia and the number is set to increase. At the moment there are 230 under-65s in Staffordshire with dementia. By 2021 this figure is estimated to be 243.

Ms Ivis said the Alzheimer's Society believed more people would suffer from Korsakoff's Syndrome, a brain disorder associated with heavy drinking, in the future because of Britain's binge drinking culture.

She said: "We need to start people thinking about how to tackle this challenge. We are recommending that dementia is made a priority nationally and locally."

So why are some of Staffordshire's MPs considering voting a massive 60% funding increase to the audit-failing EU, while local health services clearly need extra investment to cope with this looming problem?

More needs to be spent both on research into the causes of dementia, and on care and treatment facilities. Not on the wasteful and fraud-ridden European Union, which hasn't had the "majority" of its spending approved by auditors for twelve years in a row.

Find out whether your MP is going to vote in favour of the EU budget deal, and consequently restrict the funding available to local public services.