In the UK, about 71,000 people have young onset dementia (YOD). At our Trust we have a specialised team to diagnose, treat and provide support to people living with this condition and their caregivers.
Young onset dementia is a rare condition that affects people under the age of 65. Typically, our Trust diagnoses individuals in their 50s and 60s, though some in their 40s have sought our services.
Our Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist for young onset Dementia, Marcel Fewins, shines a light on the condition and how our service works. Marcel said: “Receiving a dementia diagnosis in your 40s or 50s while you are still working and have dependents relying on you is extremely hard.
“In my experience the outcome for a person diagnosed with young onset dementia is vastly different to that of a person diagnosed with dementia later in life. Younger people tend to be higher functioning and more easily able to lead fulfilling lives and despite the diagnosis, they tend to be optimistic about maintaining a good quality of life.”
Early signs and symptoms
Signs and symptoms of young onset dementia appear gradually and differ depending on the type of dementia. Common signs include word finding difficulties and struggling to speak, clumsiness, poor balance and falls, a decrease in visual and spatial awareness, changes to mood and behaviour, forgetting conversations and future plans, repetitiveness, and changes to personality.
Marcel says: “Many of these problems could be caused by mental health problems such as low mood, physical health problems or lifestyle factors such as poor diet and sleep so it’s important to get those treated first by seeing your GP.
“The GP will rule out common causes of memory problems. If a person is referred to our young onset dementia service, further assessments will take place. In the last year, we received 635 referrals.”
The young onset dementia service offers Occupational Therapy and Cognitive Rehabilitation support. Psychological support can also be provided. The service has a good relationship with the Younger People With Dementia (YPWD) charity, which provides group work for people in this age group.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Our Trust uses Cognitive Rehabilitation (CR) to support people with young onset dementia. CR is an evidence-based approach which enables people to function at the best possible level and remain as independent as possible in everyday activities.
It is recommended by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) and identifies areas for improvement in daily life and offers tailored strategies to reach achievable goals. Visit the Exeter University GREAT Cognitive Rehabilitation website for more information.