Record NHS dementia figures welcomed by Wiltshire charity
Almost half a million people were diagnosed with dementia in June alone
More people than ever before in England are being diagnosed with dementia as levels reach record highs, according to the latest NHS data.
The latest figures show a record 487,432 people had a diagnosis in June.
But a Wiltshire charity supporting people living with the illness say the figures aren't as scary as they sound.
Stephany Bardzil, from Alzheimer's Support Wiltshire, told Greatest Hits Radio that more people getting a diagnosis is a positive step.
"It is a slightly counterintuitive because we know there are a lot of people with dementia and that is growing, which is concerning," she said.
"However, the fact that there's more people being diagnosed is actually a good thing, a positive thing for them because in the past the issue for people with dementia in many cases is the difficulty in getting a diagnosis and the diagnosis can help a lot of people."
Stephany added that the diagnoses allows people to know what is wrong with them and that, despite the stigma's of the past, it is a medical condition, rather than some kind of character flaw.
She said: "If you see it as a medical condition, your brain isn't working as well as it was, having that medical diagnosis to explain what's happening is actually really useful.
"It's really useful for the person who understands what's going on, and also for the whole family, just to have that that understanding."
Stephany also told us that the type of dementia someone has is crucial in the diagnosis phase as well.
"Knowing what it is and knowing the type of dementia, because there isn't just one blanket type that everybody gets, there's lots of different nuances, there's lots of different conditions, and knowing how you're being affected, how your brain is actually being affected by this, this illness is actually very, very helpful," she said.
Stephany told us that there are many early signs of dementia.
"There's so many different things that that dementia can affect, and so it's when there's symptoms and signs which are unusual for that person, then it's a good idea to have a chat with the with the GP explain what's been going on," she said.
She added that even if it is the 'horrible diagnosis' of dementia, it can be a positive first step.
"People that have gone through it say they would rather know because then they're prepared and they can start to plan and they can think about the things which they want to do."