Dementia is typically diagnosed when acquired cognitive impairment has become severe enough to compromise social and/or occupational functioning.

Mild cognitive impairment is a state intermediate between normal cognition and dementia, with essentially preserved functional abilities. People have minor problems with their mental abilities such as memory or thinking.

The Alzheimer's disease is most common cause of Dementia with around 500,000 sufferers in the UK. The disease accounts for 50 to 70% of all dementia, affecting an estimated 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 and 1 in every 6 people over the age of 80.

Between five and 20 percent of people aged over 65 have mild cognitive impairment.

Dementia could impact your everyday life in many ways.

Memory: This could be forgetting about recent conversations or events, and forgetting the names of places and objects.

Attention: Failure to pay attention can lead to the person missing important information

Perception: You may interpret verbal information very concretely and miss the subtle nuances of conversation.

Mitigating a mild cognitive impairment

There is a lot you can do to help reduce your chances of a mild cognitive impairment progressing to dementia.

  • If you do smoke, now is a good time to stop. If you drink, check you are well within the recommended limits
  • Having a regular routine can help to minimise memory problems
  • Try to always keep things in the same place as it will make them easier to find
  • Use calendars and diaries, or reminders on electronic devices, to help you remember appointments and important events
  • Get regular physical exercise
  • Eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables
  • Try to sleep well - avoid stimulants like tea or coffee, or having alcohol, before bed

The Alzheimer's Society has useful information on their website.

Services we can provide to support you

  • Free Priority Fault Repair Service

    Sometimes, a telephone or a broadband service becomes a vital lifeline for customers. We offer a free priority fault repair service for customers who have a disability and may be at risk in the unlikely event of a fault occurring on their line.

    We’ll prioritise your repair over standard care levels but there may be circumstances beyond our control that mean we can’t. For example, extreme weather conditions like floods or storms can delay or prevent our engineers carrying out repairs to overhead cables or working down manholes.

    To find out if you’re eligible for a Free Priority Fault Repair, and to register for the service please contact us on 01482 602555. Alternatively, you can use one of our other contact methods on the contact us page.

  • Third Party Bill Management
    Customers who need help to manage their account can nominate a friend or relative to receive copies of bills and correspondence without them becoming liable for the bill. The Authorised User is able to raise a complaint or make a payment on behalf of the customer. Please call us on 01482 602555 to arrange this on your account. Alternatively, you can use one of our other contact methods on the contact us page.

Find out more about how we support our vulnerable customers