THE predictions are frightening. By 2016 more than 8,000 people in Oxfordshire will have been diagnosed with dementia — a rise of nearly 20 per cent in six years.

2016 is not on the distant horizon. The future is here.

The simple truth is people in Britain are living longer than ever before, largely due to improved standards of living and medicines.

Good news in itself, but also a wake-up call to us all.

More and more people lose their mental abilities such as thinking, remembering and reasoning as the 21st century progresses.

It is reassuring to know NHS Oxfordshire – the authority in charge of our county’s health – is preparing itself.

There will be a massive financial burden to bear over the coming years, and if the predictions are correct, the burden will rise and rise.

As such, education about how to reduce the risk of developing the condition and to diagnose the symptoms early is key.

And this affects everybody.

The middle-aged of today are the elderly of tomorrow, while the young are their future carers. Society must prepare itself for the inevitable.