The UK’s First Exhibition for People Living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia

The most common statement you will hear from a carer is: “I wish I had known about this before.”

The Alzheimer’s Show has been set-up to address this fundamental knowledge gap by bringing together the best experts, services and products under one roof.  The aim is to provide access to all the resources needed by people to ‘live well with dementia’, whether they have the condition themselves or they are a family, friend or professional carer.

The two-day event (April 19^th & 20^th) follows the ethos of David Cameron’s ‘Dementia Challenge’ and mirrors the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends initiative by creating a community where people can talk openly about their experiences of living with dementia, share their experiences and start to lift the stigma that can still sometimes cloud the issues.

David Cameron, Prime Minister, a keen supporter of the show said: “Dementia is one of the most important issues we face as a society. The Alzheimer’s Show is an excellent opportunity to help raise awareness and understanding of dementia and to help ensure that people with dementia, their carers and families get the services and support they need.”

Representing the Government, Professor Alastair Burns, National Dementia Tsar, will present an update on the Government’s plans to make major improvements in dementia care to visitors to the show on Saturday 20^th April. We also have David Behan, Chief Executive of the Care Quality Commission, responsible for regulating the care sector, talking about the aims of the organisation on Friday 19th.

The show has the support of all the major UK dementia charities.  Specialists from Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Dementia UK will make presentations over the two-days, alongside experts from Community Integrated Care, Dementia Research Centre, The Law Society and more, discussing everything from post-diagnosis and exploring the myths through to practical tips for carers and nutritional advice.

A full schedule, with dates and times can be found at http://alzheimersshow.co.uk/alzheimers-matters-theatre.

Throughout the show, Dementia UK’s Admiral Nurses will be providing 25 minute one-to-one advice clinics to visitors on a first come first served basis.  Slots can be booked at the Dementia UK stand.

There will also be over 40 exhibitors, all offering products or services designed to assist living.  Many will also be offering advice sessions in the Exhibitor’s Workshop, sponsored by Care UK.  Everything from finding local support and choosing the best care options through to assisted technologies and social media care systems.  A comprehensive list can be found at http://alzheimersshow.co.uk/workshop/

Additionally, there will be an open plan theatre area, The Alzheimer’s Talks, sponsored by Sweettree Home Care, providing a unique platform for individuals affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia to describe what it means to live with the condition and discuss these issues.  More details can be found at http://alzheimersshow.co.uk/alzheimers-talks/

The Alzheimer’s Show will take place at The Royal Horticultural Halls, Lindley Hall, Elverton Street, London SW1P 2QW in London on the 19^th & 20^th April 2013.  Tickets are available in advance from www.alzheimersshow.co.uk or on the door.

On Friday 19^th April, Phyllida Law, mother of actress Emma Thompson will be talking about her positive experiences of living with her mother with dementia.  She will also be signing copies of her new book; How Many Camels are Their in Holland?  which was inspired by this time in her life.  On the afternoon of Saturday 20th April there will also be topics of special interest such as music, dementia gardens, author Michael Fassio and others.

The Alzheimer’s Show was born from an urgent need to recognise and support the growing numbers of people in the UK whose lives are affected by dementia.  There are currently 800,000 adults, from as young as 40, living with the disease in the UK.  This figure is set to rise to 1.7 million people within 40 years.  For many, life becomes difficult and support can be hard to find.  We understand that we are living in an era of austerity in public services and therefore the need for this event has never been greater,” explained Nigel Ward, Founder of The Alzheimer’s Show.

The Alzheimer’s Show will take place at The Royal Horticultural Halls, Lindley Hall, Elverton Street, London SW1P 2QW in London on the 19^th & 20^th April 2013.  Tickets are available in advance from www.alzheimersshow.co.uk or on the door.

For more information, and for regular updates on conference sessions, speakers, exhibitors and general news, please visit www.alzheimersshow.co.uk and follow us @alzheimersshow and on Facebook – The Alzheimer’s Show.