A simple blood test can detect the onset of dementia according to scientists in America. The test could speed up diagnosis, and then it is hoped interventions can help at an earlier stage. At present there is no effective treatment for an illness which will affect 600,000 Britons by 2025. The test has 90% accuracy in spotting any toxins in the brain which are an early indication of the disease. The current thinking is that because clinical drugs trials have failed to work it maybe the solution is to try and intervene at a much earlier stage before obvious symptoms emerge. Currently brain scans are used (known as Pet scans) but these are time consuming and expensive.
Owner of Independent Living commented “caring for people with dementia is an area where we are seeing an explosion of need. As more people start to live into their late 80s and early 90s it is inevitable that memory issues amongst our customers are growing. Providing care and support for people with mild/medium dementia in their own home is growing. People with severe dementia often need to be in a specialist care facility.”
