Having no social, economic, ethnic or geographical boundaries, dementia is not a normal part of
ageing. Whilst each person experiences dementia in his/her own way, in the long run, individuals affected by the disease are unable to care for themselves and need help with all aspects of daily life. Individuals affected with Alzheimer’s disease live an average of eight years and almost 20 years or more from the beginning of the symptoms. People with Alzheimer’s disease survive about half as long as those of similar age without dementia. The average survival time is influenced by age at diagnosis and acuteness of other medical conditions.
