Risk Factors of Dementia in Bexley

This assignment investigates the risk factors of dementia in Bexley, with a specific focus on the Black and Minority Ethnic community. The research problem centers around identifying who is at risk, where the problem is situated, and why it is significant in Bexley. The selected population includes elderly dementia patients from this community, and the study aims to analyze the health risks due to falling among them.

Running head: Health and Social Care
Health and Social Care
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1Health and Social Care
What is Dementia and what are the consequences?
Dementia is an overall term, that includes a spectrum of symptoms related to a
declining memory and cognitive skills that can affect the ability of a person to conduct
everyday activities. Dementia can cause impairments in memory, communication/language,
paying attention, reasoning and judgment as well as visual perceptions of an individual
(alz.org 2018).
Effect on Individuals: Among older patients, Dementia increases the risk of falling,
and is twice as likely to fall compared to elderly patients with no cognitive deficits. The
higher risks of falling also increase risks of morbidity, mortality and institutionalization
(Aizen 2015).
Effect on Family: Families also tend to suffer while caring for individuals for
dementia. The condition can lead to anxiety and even trauma among family members.
Effect on the Government: Apart from the effects on the overall well being, Dementia
also reduces employability and reduces the cost of treatment of dementia as well as its co-
morbidities.
The research Problem:
Risks of falling among elderly dementia patients
Who are at risk?
The risk factors of dementia includes: age (above 65 years), family history, heredity
and genetics, injuries to the head, cardiac health as well as ethnicity (alz.org 2018).
According to The Guardian, African Caribbean and Asian UK communities are at the highest
risk of developing dementia, compared to the indigenous white population in the UK

2Health and Social Care
(Salman, 2014). Almost 25,000 elderly people from the Black and Ethnic minority
communities in the UK, have dementia (Scie.org.uk, 2018).
Where is the problem?
As per the Bexley Government, 21.6% of the population of Bexley comprises of
Black and Minority ethnic group, and forms the highest proportion of residents in Bexley.
There are 1,742 people in Bexley diagnosed with Dementia (as of 2014-15), showing a
prevalence of 0.75%. Additionally, the resident population over the age of 75 years is
expected to increase in the future.
This highlights the importance of analyzing the health risks (due to falling) among the
elderly patients from Black African Caribbean communities of the UK.
Why the problem is situated in Bexley?
The problem can be of significant importance in Bexley, owing to the larger
proportion of black ethnic, African Caribbean communities in the UK, compared to
indigenous white population, an increasing trend in the number of elderly residents in Bexley,
and also a nationwide increase in dementia cases.
Selected Population
The risk of dementia can be due to vascular risk factors like hypertension often seen
among African Caribbean communities in the UK (Scie.org.uk 2018). Also, due to the
increase risk of dementia among elderly patients, the selected population includes elderly
dementia patients in the mentioned community.

3Health and Social Care
References:
Aizen., 2015. [Falls In Patients With Dementia]. - PubMed - NCBI. [online]
Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26168645 [Accessed
26 Mar. 2018].
alz.org., 2018. Risk Factors. [online] Alzhimer's Association. Available at:
https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_causes_risk_factors.asp [Accessed 26 Mar. 2018].
alz.org., 2018. What Is Dementia?. [online] Alzhimer's Association. Available at:
https://www.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp [Accessed 26 Mar. 2018].
Salman, S., 2014. Why black and minority ethnic communities need targeted dementia
services. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-
network/2014/sep/18/black-minority-ethnic-communities-dementia-services [Accessed 26
Mar. 2018].
Scie.org.uk., 2018. Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities and dementia - SCIE.
[online] Scie.org.uk. Available at:
https://www.scie.org.uk/dementia/living-with-dementia/bme/ [Accessed 26 Mar. 2018].