Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire are leading two of the twenty-one new Government-funded projects into dementia research - to boost dementia diagnosis rates and trial ground-breaking treatments, as well as helping people with dementia live well with the condition today.
The two projects, led by the University of Hertfordshire's Centre for Research into Primary and Community Care, have received funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and are part of the Government's £22 million investment into dementia research.
Over 670,000 people in England have some form of dementia - and this is set to double in the next thirty years, creating one of the biggest challenges for healthcare and support services.
The University-led research projects will focus on two specific areas: how to improve the healthcare for people with dementia who also have additional medical conditions such as stroke, diabetes or visual impairment; and, secondly, how to best manage the behavioural and psychological symptoms of people living at home with dementia, symptoms such as becoming aggressive or agitated, wandering, becoming upset or distressed.
Dr Frances Bunn, University of Hertfordshire, said: "Many people with dementia have additional long-term health problems which, if not managed well, can make a person's dementia worse or lead to unplanned hospital admissions. We will be looking at how this affects how people access services, how their needs are assessed and how they are supported over time."