East Dunbartonshire Facts and Figures

East Dunbartonshire Facts and Figures (2017)

2,314 people are living with dementia in East Dunbartonshire

Dementia Facts and Figures in Scotland

  • 93,282 people are living with dementia in Scotland
  • 3,200 are under the age of 65

General Facts

  • Less than 1% of people aged 60-64 develop dementia
  • 24-30% of people aged 85 and over are affected by dementia
  • 70% of people over 85 do not have dementia and it is not a common part of ageing

What is the Impact of Dementia in East Dunbartonshire?

East Dunbartonshire has one of the largest populations of older people in Scotland. 71% of our population will be over 75 years of age by the year 2024 and it is estimated that 2,727 people will be living with dementia by that date.  Two of the Scottish Government’s key policies are Reshaping Care for Older People and Scotland’s National Dementia Strategy 2017-20. These policies are aimed at improving services for older people by shifting the balance of care towards anticipatory care and prevention, and better post diagnostic support.  The Social Care (Self Directed Support)(Scotland) Act 2013 gives people more choice in their care. The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2104 is the integration of health and social care. The aim of this is to ensure that those who use services get the right care and support whatever their needs, at any point in their care journey.

Much can be done to make a real difference with people living with Dementia.  People living with dementia are the expert in their own lives and by working with people it will achieve better outcomes.  The value of Co-production is working with people.  Research from DEEP (The Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project) show that people with dementia and their carers often have unique insight into an issue and valuable knowledge and experience.

We want people to Live Well With Dementia, engage with local organisations to contribute to a Dementia-friendly Community, and take up Dementia Awareness Training from the East Dunbartonshire Dementia Network.  The network also offers home visits, outreach services and Ceartas runs Dementia Cafes in the local area.