Dementia, diverse communities and access to services

Dementia – a progressive illness of the brain, most commonly affecting older people – has been identified as the biggest health and social care challenge facing society, due largely to an ageing population. Migration patterns from the 1950s and 1960s mean that the UK is now home to an ageing BME population, and there are currently 25,000 people with dementia from BME communities in England and Wales. This figure is expected to rise, yet little is known about the experiences of BME people with dementia, which in the UK includes people from a range of ethnic backgrounds. Although the National Dementia Strategy emphasises that health and social care service providers should take account of BME dementia needs, there is evidence that the needs of people from BME backgrounds are not currently being met.