Dementia 'higher' in South West

Nearly one in five dementia sufferers live in the South West, according to the Alzheimer's Research Trust. This amounts to 40,000 people - 20 per cent of the national average.

In the trust's dementia 2010 report, it says the disease costs the UK twice as much as cancer, three times as much as heart disease and four times as much as strokes. On present trends, it claims the UK's approach to managing dementia is unsustainable.

Rebecca Wood, from the trust said: "If research leads to a cure for alzheimer's and other dementias, annual saving to the UK economy would be equivalent to hosting the London Olympics twice, or funding every British Univesity for three years."

In terms of research; for every one pound spent on dementia research, 12 times that sum goes on investigating cancer - despite dementia affecting over 800,000 people nationwide.

Carers are now calling on the government for more research to cure and treat the disease.

The researchers believe the fact that a larger proportion of the cost of caring for cancer and heart disease falls on the NHS, rather than the individual and their family. This goes some way to explaining the discrepency in government funding for research.

In response to the findings Care Services Minister, Phil Hope, said the government fully recognised the importance of dementia research and by 2011 it would be investing nearly £1bn in health research.

Mr Hope said: "Dementia is one of the most important issues we face as the population ages and I want to see an increase in the volume, quality and impact of dementia research." 

Our reporter Natasha Hingston speaks to a Cornish carer who used to look after a dementia sufferer.