It is estimated that 850,000 people in the UK have some form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common. The progression of the dementia can be very slow with many people able to contribute to society for some time after their original diagnosis. However, the end result is often the same, people will experience severe memory loss, lose the ability to walk, to wash and even feed themselves.
There is no cure at present, meaning 1 in 3 older people will end their lives with dementia. Dementia affects everyone in a family and community. As the population ages, we expect to see even more people having to face the issues and problems of living with this distressing illness.
William Scott lived with Alzheimer’s disease during the last years of his life. It is for this reason that the William Scott Foundation has donated royalties, reproduction and other fees to the Alzheimer’s Society, helping to fund an important research project into finding effective therapies including the body’s own mechanisms for repair.
In supporting this vastly under-funded area, the William Scott Foundation helps to get closer to developing a treatment, if not a cure, for diseases such as Alzheimer’s.