Former Prime Minister David Cameron vowed that “dementia is not inevitable” as he became the new President of Alzheimer’s Research UK. Mr Cameron made dementia a focus of his time at 10 Downing Street, and in 2012 launched Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge which aimed to find a treatment or cure by 2025.
“I am delighted to take up the Presidency of Alzheimer’s Research UK, an ambitious charity driving medical research to fight this devastating condition,” said the former Prime Minister. “As well as being a world-leading research organisation, the charity is also fighting the misconceptions of dementia that persist in society. Dementia is not inevitable and research is our greatest weapon against it.”
Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, “As a world leader, Mr Cameron has done more than any other to put dementia on the global agenda, driving an ambition shared by all G7 nations to find a disease-modifying treatment by 2025. His support of our work will help us continue our positive growth and further bolster our research efforts, through which we will end the fear, harm and heartbreak of dementia.”
As his role with Alzheimer’s Research UK was announced, Mr Cameron revealed he knew he wanted to “help with the fight” when he met a patient in a care home the week after the Brexit vote. He says he held the woman’s hand but, “As I looked back at her I could see she didn’t know either where she was, or who was sitting with her.” He says it brought home to him “the desperate sadness” of the memory-loss condition.
“Alzheimer’s Research UK is the country’s leading research charity aiming to defeat dementia and its pioneering work focuses on prevention, treatment and cure,” says Geraldine Smith, CEO of Coate Water Care. “Its motto is ‘Together we have the power to defeat dementia’ and having powerful advocates like David Cameron on board is a real boost to people like myself and my colleagues at Coate Water Care who witness the day to day reality of this debilitating condition.”
Coate Water Care is a family-run company with seven outstanding care homes. Please contact our ‘Welcome Team’ Michelle or Geraldine (01793 821200) to arrange a visit to one of our care homes.