Vascular Dementia

Biography

Biography: Harjinder Kaur

Abstract

There is a current estimate of nearly 25,000 people with dementia from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in England and Wales. This number is expected to grow to nearly 50,000 by 2026 and over 172,000 people by 2051. This is nearly a seven-fold increase in 40 years. It compares to just over a two-fold increase in the number of people with dementia across the whole United Kingdom (UK) population in the same time period. BAME communities in the UK are not just getting older but they are also growing in numbers. It is therefore extremely important to have a tool that is suitable to assess dementia amongst these communities so that diagnosis is made early and that patients get the support and treatment they need and require. Currently, this area of work is underdeveloped and a ‘culturally appropriate’ diagnostic tool is yet to be developed. This presentation discusses current diagnostic tools for Vascular Dementia arguing the case for the Rowland Universal Dementia Scale (RUDAS) as a tool for diagnosing Vascular Dementia in BAME communities who may not only lack English fluency but also literacy skills. The information presented is based on the speaker’s experience of working with people from South Asian communities, to share good practice and raise awareness about some of the challenges and barriers for diagnosing Vascular Dementia. Though based in the UK, this information is transferable to other countries working with people from different cultural backgrounds.