A major new European study on dementia is looking for Irish participants.

Actifcare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) is a European research project, which aims to analyse the pathways to care for people with dementia and their families, in an attempt to better understand healthcare inequalities.

The Irish leg of the study is being carried out by Dr Kate Irving and her team at Dublin City University (DCU). They would like to speak to people living at home with dementia, as well as their families.

"Dementia is a condition that weighs heavily on the human psyche, triggering emotional responses of fear and dread. However, as we understand dementia better, people are finding that, although there are challenges, it is nevertheless possible to live well with dementia.

"Our project is looking at timely intervention in dementia care or put another way, not waiting for a crisis to happen before people seek out services and supports," Dr Irving explained.

She pointed out that in many instances, family carers can be reluctant to seek help. They may feel like they should be able to manage, or they simply do not know where to get help.

"I would strongly urge them to seek support early on. In reality, the weight of dementia is often too much for families to bear alone and resistance to taking on support often leads to a crisis situation further down the line which could have been avoided," she commented.

Anyone who would like to find out more or get involved with this study should contact Dr Louise Hopper by calling (01) 700 8540 or emailing louise.hopper@dcu.ie

Some 40,000 people in Ireland are affected by dementia, the most common type of which is Alzheimer's disease. For more information on Alzheimer's, see our Alzheimer's Clinic here