04/02/2016

Alzheimer’s Research has just launched a great campaign fronted by the award-winning actor Christopher Eccleston which captured my attention.

Alzheimer’s Research UK, Aardman Animations (makers of Wallace and Gromit) and creative agency in London have combined forces to create the 90 second video starring the actor.

The orange is used as a metaphor for the brain. By using time lapse animation of an orange, the footage shows the damage the disease can cause to a human brain. The brain of a person with Alzheimer’s is so damaged, it weighs 140 grams less than a healthy brain. That’s about the weight of an orange.

Their message is clear. Dementia is not just a natural part of ageing. “It is a disease which we could, one day, defeat.”

The facts are alarming. There are 850,000 people living in the UK with dementia today. The figure is expected to rise to over 1 million by 2025 and it is projected to exceed 2 million.

The chance of developing dementia does increase with age, but statistics show that over 40,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 years have been diagnosed.

It is never too early plan ahead

There are arrangements that you can put in place in advance for the possibility of you becoming unable to make certain decisions for yourself in the future. Lasting Powers of Attorney allow you to plan in advance who you would like to make decisions about your finances and welfare. They mean you can ensure that in the future your affairs will be set up in a way that you have chosen giving both you and your family peace of mind.

The film is certainly thought provoking, you can watch it below. Are you prepared if it happens to you?

If any of these issues affect you and you would like some further advice please contact our Private Wealth Solicitor Sarah Mellor on 01782 205000 or sarah.mellor@beswicks.com