Actress Carey Mulligan to promote awareness of dementia
The actress Carey Mulligan has been appointed the first UK Global Dementia Friends Ambassador by the Alzheimer’s Society and the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The star of films such as Suffragette and The Great Gatsby aims to inspire and engage world leaders to promote a better understanding of dementia, a condition afflicting her grandmother.
Her first action in her new role will be marking World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September by delivering a Dementia Friends session to a youth group in Los Angeles to spread greater awareness among young people about the condition.
She said: “My Nans has dementia and I have experienced first-hand how devastating it can be. It affects everyone differently, and it’s so important that everyone affected by the condition is treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve. At the moment, there’s not nearly enough awareness and as a global society we have a duty to change that.
“The first step involves educating people and breaking down stigma – not just on our doorstep, but across the world. I’ve seen my mum doing this in her role as a Dementia Friends Champion – now I’m honoured to become the first Global Dementia Friends Ambassador and help the Alzheimer’s Society and the government change global attitudes towards dementia.”
The involvement of stars like Mulligan shows the growing problem of dementia and the importance the government and health officials now attach to it.
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