How we produce our information about dementia

What information about dementia do we produce?

Our information is for everyone living with dementia including family, friends and carers.

Our guidance and advice covers a wide range of topics from dealing with diagnosis, coping with symptoms, and accessing health and social care, to keeping active and planning ahead.

The right information will help you to live better with the condition, make day-to-day and future decisions, and be more in control.

You'll find suggestions and details about further support and services and how to access these, throughout our information.

Find the right dementia information for you

Information pages on this site are found in the About dementia and Get support sections of our website.

Some popular information topics are available in audio, video and British Sign Language versions.

You can also read our simple, summarised helpsheets online,  or you can them download or print them at home. These have been translated into a range of languages.

Order print publications

Our information is available in a wide range of print publications including.

• booklets – practical information on common aspects of life with dementia. 
• factsheets – more detailed information on a range of topics, categorised by four subject areas
  • key facts or aspects about dementia
  • practical and emotional guidance
  • health and social care
  • legal and financial matters.
• tools for people with dementia – such as our This is me^® form, symptoms checklist and Helpcards.

You can download many of these as PDFs or order individual copies including:

• The dementia guide: living well after your diagnosis
• Caring for a person with dementia: a practical guide

These comprehensive guides provide a general, introductory overview of the main topics and issues following a diagnosis of dementia for both the person with dementia and carers. 

We also produce other formats, such as information in a range of languages and Easy Read, so that everyone can access the information in the way that’s best for them.

How do we ensure the quality of our dementia information?

Our quality-controlled processes involve the review and update of all information every three years to make sure it is:

• based on the needs and experiences of people affected by dementia – tailored to the needs of our audiences using feedback from people living with dementia, as well as the specialists who support them. 
• accurate and reliable – our in-house team of dementia experts make sure our information and advice is based on the latest and most reliable evidence. To see a list of sources for any piece of our information, email [email protected]
• clear and simple – our writers and editors use plain English to make our information understandable and accessible. We try to keep the language clear and jargon-free so as many people as possible can use it. 
• inclusive – at each review, we make sure that our language, examples and photography continue to reflect and represent the diversity of people affected by dementia. Our reader panel also bring a wide range of experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. 

We are grateful to all the dementia professionals and people living with dementia who generously give their time to help us develop our information.

The PIF TICK quality mark

We are certified members of PIF TICK. This accreditation is the UK-wide quality mark for trusted health information.

The PIF TICK shows that our information has been through a professional and robust production process and meets important criteria. These include producing clear and reliable information for genuine needs that: 

• uses up-to-date evidence
• has wide readability and accessibility
• involves its users
• makes an impact.

To achieve the PIF TICK quality mark, our information processes are assessed by the Patient Information Forum (PIF). For more information visit piftick.org.uk 

Help us provide dementia information

We could not produce accurate, accessible and relevant information without your support.

You can share what you know and feel about dementia to make sure our content reflects the reality of living with and caring for someone with the condition. 

We want our reader and professional panels to include a diversity of experiences, backgrounds and circumstances. In this way, our information reflects and represents a wide range of people.  

Join our reader panel

If you are living with dementia, including if you are a carer, family member or friend of a person with dementia, you can help us improve our information by joining our reader panel. 

Being a reader panel member involves reading draft versions of our information and letting us know how clear and relevant you think it is.

You don’t need any qualifications, just personal experience of dementia. To find out more, email [email protected] 

Can you provide a professional perspective?

Our quality processes also include review from professional experts. These come from a wide range of disciplines including health, social care, the law and academic organisations.

We’d love to hear from you if your work involves people affected by dementia, and you can help us with the review of our publications. Email [email protected] for more information.

Copyright and permissions requests

If you wish to re-use any content from Alzheimer's Society's publications or website in any media, please complete our online permission request form.

Donate

With your help, we can continue to provide vital services, information and advice to people affected by dementia. To make a single or monthly donation, please call us on 0330 333 0804 or donate online.