SOMEONE in the world develops dementia every three seconds, writes Georgia Langdon.

And for every person diagnosed, or not yet diagnosed, are an army of people also impacted and increasingly relied upon.

Dementia is a cruel disease, often referred to as the long goodbye, and this exclusive report looks at the impact of Covid-19 on people living with dementia in Tynedale.

Tyndale is ‘lucky’ to have an active dementia community, allowing people to live with dementia and live well.

In producing this report, I have been guided by the ‘experts’ in the field – carers, community groups, NHS staff – who have all helped me to better understand the condition.

When I first started working on this report, my nana was being tested for dementia. She has since been diagnosed, and as a family, we are adapting with the help of Mickley-based Community Buddies – a home from home-style organisation which supports people to thrive – irrespective of their deteriorating health.

Before her diagnosis, perhaps naively, I was not aware of just how far-reaching this disease is, and what problems it is likely to cause, coming out of the pandemic, against a backdrop of an ageing population, NHS backlogs and social care funding.

I am so grateful to everybody who has helped with this report which really does mean so much to me personally. I hope it will also help you too as we approach Dementia Action Week (May 16-22) which this year, has the theme of diagnosis.