Press release 25th March 2014
Help raise €450,000 this Alzheimer's Tea Day in order to maintain vital Alzheimer’s services all around Ireland.
National broadcaster Pat Kenny, and The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), are calling on people all over Ireland to help celebrate the 20th Annual Alzheimer’s Tea Day being held on Thursday 1st May 2014.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is seeking to recruit over 2,000 Tea Day hosts nationwide and aims to have Tea Day parties taking place in every county on May 1st. Reaching this target will enable The Alzheimer Society of Ireland to continue its vital services for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. All money raised locallywill stay locally, thereforeall donations made at each local Tea Day event will go towards maintaining services in that local community.
Since the very first Alzheimer’s Tea Day in 1994 over €6.6M has been raised and gone back into supporting local communities. This vital fundraising has maintained services such as day care, home care, support groups, social clubs, respite care and the Alzheimer National Helpline.
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is the leading dementia specific service provider in Ireland but is struggling to cope with an increasing demand for its services. There are almost *48,000 people in Ireland living with some form of dementia and every year there are 4000 new cases of dementia diagnosed. The number of people with dementia in Ireland is set to treble by 2041 due to an ageing population. According to Gerry Martin, Chief Executive with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, “our services are in demand more than ever, without the fundraising efforts of people all around Ireland, these services would not be possible to maintain”.
At the launch of Alzheimer’s Tea Day 2014, broadcaster and Tea Day supporter Pat Kenny said, “Being a carer is a 24/7 job, services provided by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland are also vital in enabling carers to take some time look after themselves so that people with dementia can stay at home for as long as possible”.
Pat Kenny, whose late mother Connie lived with Alzheimer’s disease for 14 years, has been a strong supporter of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and has been the patron of Alzheimer’s Tea Day for six years. He knows the difference the Alzheimer Society’s services can make to families, carers and people living with dementia.
Help make the 20th Birthday of Alzheimer’s Tea Day bigger and better than ever before by registering to host your own Tea Day, simply phone 1800 719 820 or visit
To find out more about Alzheimer’s services in your community in confidence contact the Alzheimer National Helpline on 1800 341 341
Picture Caption:Abigail Fitzgerald (5), Pat Kenny and Alice Sinclair (4) launch Alzheimer's Tea Day. This is the 20thBirthday of Alzheimer’s Tea Day. To host a Tea Day Party in aid of Alzheimer services in your area visit or call 1800 719 820.
For more information please contact Grace Cassidy on 086 047 2900 or email
ENDS
Facts:
*Cahill, S. & Pierce, M 2013, The Prevalence of Dementia in Ireland, Genio Dementia Learning Event.
2014 marks the 20th Birthday of Alzheimer’s Tea Day.
Alzheimer’s Tea Day is The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s largest annual fundraiser.
Dementia has a life changing physical, emotional and mental impact on the affected person and their primary carer and family. There are more than 100 conditions that cause dementia.
While the risk of dementia increases with age, dementia is not a natural part of ageing.
Dementia affects almost *48,000 people in Ireland with an estimated 50,000 family carers.
4000 new cases of people with dementia are diagnosed each year.
Dementia ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among the population aged 65 years and over.
Alzheimer's, the most common cause of dementia in Ireland, accounts for 66% of all cases; the second most common form is vascular dementia.