Three quarters of people in the UK feel that society is not geared up to deal with dementia according to a new report by Alzheimer’s Society.

Dementia 2012: A National Challenge reflects the negative impact this is having on people with dementia.

The report found that three in five (61 per cent) people diagnosed with dementia are left feeling lonely, four in five (77 per cent) feel anxious or depressed and nearly half (44 per cent) have lost friends.

Alzheimer’s Society is calling for a radical shift in the way society treats people with dementia to ensure people with dementia receive the support and respect they deserve.

Speaking at the launch of Dementia 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron issued the first ever Prime Ministerial challenge on dementia outlining plans to give a boost to dementia research, address quality of dementia care and increase understanding of the condition.

As part of this challenge, Alzheimer’s Society will begin work to make villages, towns and cities more dementia friendly.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: "The announcement by the Prime Minister marks an unprecedented step towards making the UK a world leader in dementia. Doubling funding for research, tackling diagnosis and calling for a radical shift in the way we talk, think and act on dementia will help to transform lives.

"There are currently 800,000 people with dementia yet too many are not able to live well with the condition. The PM is leading the way but from Plymouth to Preston, from the boardroom to bus drivers, we all have a role to play."

Other key statistics include:

68 per cent of people with dementia had a gap of longer than a year between noticing symptoms and getting a diagnosis. Eight per cent had to wait five years or over

48 per cent of people with dementia feel like a burden to their family

Only 12 per cent of people with dementia feel they always have a voice in their community

Half (47 per cent) of people with dementia feel their carer may not be getting the support they need

46 per cent of people with dementia don’t always have choice over the support services they could receive

Only a quarter (26 per cent) of people with dementia always have the opportunity to meet and talk with other people with dementia

A third of people do not receive enough information about their condition and almost half do not receive enough information to plan for the future

82 per cent of people with dementia feel there should be more funding for dementia research.

The findings from Dementia 2012 are based on a survey of 306 people with dementia or carers on their behalf and a YouGov poll of 2070 UK adults.

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