Young Dementia Network

Our short animation explains what the Young Dementia Network is, what it does and how to join, from the perspective of a person living with the condition.

Please feel free to share it with your family, friends, colleagues and networks to help us grow our membership.

Dementia Forward and Care England have recently launched a new report, 'A hidden population: identifying the young onset dementia data problem in England'.

It draws on Freedom of Information requests across England and highlights the significant gaps in data about young onset dementia and the impact this has on commissioning and those with the condition.

You can read the report here: smartdirectory.careengland.org.uk/white-papers/a…

This autumn, Dementia UK’s Policy, Campaigns and Public Affairs Team travelled across the country to show politicians why families affected by #dementia can’t wait any longer for better care and support.

The team spoke with nearly 200 MPs from across the political spectrum, including the Health and Social Care Secretary and Care Minister.

You can read more about the Promise to Care campaign here: dementiauk.org/get-involved/c…

Our October webinar was led by Professor Emma Wolverson, Professor of Ageing and Dementia at the University of West London.

It provided a unique insight into who is admitted into mental health wards, what leads up to their admission, the aims of admission, how long younger people with #dementia typically stay, and what happens when they leave.

You can watch it in full here: youngdementianetwork.org/news-and-event…

Having been repeatedly told that she was too young to have dementia, it took 10 years for Karen Barber to receive a diagnosis.

By the time she was diagnosed with young onset #dementia, she had already been dismissed for poor performance from a job she loved at the civil service.

Determined that no one else should struggle in the same way, and having discovered a gap in support for younger people, she founded Young Minds Dementia Group in February 2026.

Read Karen's story in full here: youngdementianetwork.org/about-the-netw…