People need to look past the diagnosis and remember the person
People like to make fun of serious conditions like, cancer and autism - but dementia is the most joked about it seems.
Almost a quarter of people say they hear jokes about dementia the most compared to other conditions, this is despite the fact only 8 per cent of people believe it is acceptable to make fun of the disease.
The YouGov survey found that more than half of people believe dementia is not take seriously enough in society, highlighting that even though awareness of the condition has improved there still remains much stigma.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, says: "These are shocking findings and show that dementia is still a condition for which some people think it is okay to joke about. It is not. Dementia is a devastating condition which can happen to anyone. We must tackle this lack of understanding if we are to ensure people with dementia are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve."
The poll also found that one in 10 people think it is acceptable to say someone with dementia has 'lost their marbles' and a third said it is fine to say that someone with the condition is 'having a senior moment'.
Duncan Preston, Alzheimer's Society Ambassador and actor, says: "I have worked in comedy for many years and love a good joke. I know laughter is the best medicine but it is not on to make fun of dementia. A million people will develop this devastating condition in the next ten years so it is likely to touch all our lives at some point."
Heather Roberts, 56, from Derby has Alzheimer's disease. She is married with two children and grandchildren, and was diagnosed about five years ago. She says: "It makes me angry to hear that people find dementia funny however, I think people react this way because they're frightened of it. I've experienced people walking away from me when I've told them I've got dementia and that felt like a kick in the gut. I've told people I've got the disease and never heard from them again. We need to be open and honest and educate people that younger people like me get it, too, and that life does not end with the diagnosis."
The Alzheimer's Society is encouraging people to 'remember the person' by looking beyond someone's diagnosis and engaging with them.
Femalefirst Taryn Davies