Previously an arm of the UK Alzheimer’s Society, Dementia Jersey, formally known as Jersey Alzheimer's Association, was formed in April 2010 and over 10 years later off­ers a range of services that support local people a­ffected by dementia of whatever sort, in whatever way. Our charity has 11 staff­ in various positions supported by the regular and invaluable input of over 30 dedicated volunteers. View our people page on our website for more on who they are and what they’re doing to help make Jersey a more dementia friendly island. Dementia is not a mental illness, it is a physical brain disease that damages brain cells. It cannot presently be cured, although there are anti-dementia drugs in the form of pills or patches that may delay memory deterioration for a while. The drugs are not suitable for everybody, so it is important to get an early diagnosis of what type of dementia a person has and what other medication they are taking before prescribing. There are many different types of dementia, the most common of which are Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia – sometimes people will have a combination of more than one. The most noticeable early symptoms are short-term memory loss, repetitive behaviour, general confusion, lack of understanding and an increasing inability to perform everyday tasks. A person might show feelings of insecurity and need constant reassurance. Did you know that living a healthy lifestyle is one of the biggest risk reduction factors in delaying the onset of dementia? To find out more about dementia, factors to reduce the onset of dementia, and to hear about all our events and how you can help us spread awareness, visit www.dementia.je