MORE than 8,000 Oxfordshire people will have been diagnosed with dementia by 2016.

NHS Oxfordshire, the county’s primary care trust, believes an increasingly ageing population will boost the number of people with the mental condition by nearly 20 per cent over the next six years.

Dementia is the gradual loss of mental abilities such as thinking, remembering and reasoning.

NHS Oxfordshire said the biggest increases in the condition were predicted in the Cherwell district, followed by Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire, because these are areas where people are living for longer.

Now health teams are putting together plans on how to deal with the massive rise.

Duncan Saunders, a service development manager specialising in dementia at the primary care trust, said at the moment there were about 6,800 people living with dementia in the county.

He said: “It’s difficult to obtain an exact figure for the cost of dementia in Oxfordshire, but the PCT’s expenditure on people over 65 with a primary mental health problem is in the order of £20m.

“Over the next few years, dementia is going to become far more common and we need to ensure that as a county we are ready to offer the best possible support.

“The biggest risk factor for dementia is age, so as our population ages, more people will develop dementia.

“At the moment our rate of diagnosis is 34 per cent.

“That means only one in three people get a diagnosis which is something we want to improve.

“The benefit of diagnosing early is that people can plan their care as they want it to be and if nothing else, they know what they are dealing with.

“Unfortunately in terms of treatment it is a progressive condition and it is unfortunately still incurable. But it’s not quite as bleak as all that.

“There are lifestyle changes that you can make to reduce the risk and cope better if they have dementia.”

Mike Sammons, 73, from Marston, Oxford, looked after his wife Loni, 81, after she was diagnosed with dementia in 2007. She died in March.

Mr Sammons said: “My wife’s care package cost £515 a week.

“Old people have to foot the bill out of their savings and you worry about what will happen when the money runs out.

“As more people are diagnosed with dementia, the Government must do more to support primary care trusts financially so that they can support the local population.”

Mr Saunders said people who had a full social life, and were physically and mentally active, were less likely to develop dementia.

He added: “If somebody is worried about dementia, the first thing is to see a GP. Dementia is not a normal part of old age.

“A lot of people will say to me I forgot where I put the car keys – am I developing dementia?

“If it is starting to be an every day occurrence, it’s best to get checked out.

“A diagnosis of dementia, while never welcome, is better than the alternative of knowing that something is wrong but not knowing what it is.

“Additionally, there is evidence to suggest that an early diagnosis of dementia can help to preserve people’s independence for longer, and delay the need for full time care, such as a care home.”

awlliams@oxfordmail.co.uk