More than 24,000 people across the region are living with dementia – yet less than half of them have been diagnosed with the condition.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society six out of ten people with dementia in England are undiagnosed, which means nearly 400,000 people could be without the support of the NHS and social care services.

This week, as the Government launched a £2 million campaign to raise awareness of the early signs of dementia, it was revealed that the numbers of sufferers in Bradford and Airedale will rise by more than a quarter in the next decade.

Yet in a survey carried out for the Department of Health, only around a third of adults aged over 40 said they understood the difference between normal signs of ageing and signs of dementia.

With an increasing ageing population, dementia is touching more people – both sufferers and their families – and with that comes fear and denial.

“People are afraid of dementia,” says care services minister Paul Burstow, who says rather than face the possibility that we or someone we love has the condition, we wrongly put memory problems down to ‘senior moments’.

He adds: “The sooner we discuss it and seek support, the better. Being diagnosed with dementia won’t make the condition worse, but leaving it untreated will.”

Aimed at encouraging more people to seek an early diagnosis, the campaign targets the family and friends of people at risk of dementia who are likely to be the first to see the signs.

With many people seeing relatives at Christmas, the timing is poignant; the Alzheimer’s Society had 43 per cent more calls to its helpline in January this year than last December.

While there is no cure, the earlier dementia is diagnosed, the easier it is to administer the right treatment and support, which can help slow the progression of the condition.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, says: “As the number of people with dementia increases, it is vital we take time to understand and talk about the condition.

“People with dementia and their families often tell us they were fearful of seeking a diagnosis. However, a diagnosis opened the door to support, treatment and information they wouldn’t otherwise have had access to and helped them plan for the future.”

The Bradford branch of the Alzheimer’s Society is helping people cope with the early stages of dementia through a district-wide befriending scheme, called Time To Listen. Volunteers visit people in their homes, helping them keep active in mind and body.

“The scheme is for people who have early onset dementia, or memory problems, and are isolated. They may live alone and have relatives who work, or don’t live nearby and are unable to spend a lot of time with them,” says befrienders manager Bev Johnson.

“We ask volunteers to spare two hours a week to visit someone – the same person each week, so they develop a friendship – and they do things like take them to the shops, the hairdressers or for a walk, or to a wellbeing cafe or for a dance. Or they play cards, or just chat and listen to them talk about their memories and experiences.

“It’s something for people to look forward to each week, and it helps to keep them in the social network.”

There are currently eight volunteers – and more than 60 people with dementia on the waiting list.

“We need between 20 and 25 across the district, including the Bradford, Keighley and Ilkley areas,” says Bev. “Ideally, we’d like to get a group of people ready for training over Christmas.

“The training involves developing talking and listening skills, and understanding what the service offers.

“We have volunteers in their early-20s, but we’d like some older people who are free during the day. It doesn’t have to be a week day – it could be a Saturday or Sunday, so people who work can get involved too.

“Many people are affected by this, and often it’s the case that people live too far from their loved ones to see them regularly. Imagine if it was your parent trying to cope with this and living alone – you’d appreciate someone giving up a couple of hours a week to spend time with them.”

For more about the Time To Listen scheme, call Bev Johnson on (01274) 586008 or 0788 9604006, or e-mail bev.johnson@ alzheimers.org.uk.