A YORK woman who has become a spokesman for people living with dementia is encouraging those affected to volunteer for research.

Wendy Mitchell, 60, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease in 2014 and has inadvertently become a representative for people with dementia through her determination to raise awareness. The mum-of-two has discussed the condition on the national news, addressed the House of Lords and has worked with researchers.

Now she is supporting a call by Join Dementia Research to encourage people affected to take part in research to help new studies get off the ground. An estimated 2,700 people in York live with dementia.

Wendy is currently taking part in a study aiming to determine whether an antibiotic is effective in reducing the rate of cognitive and functional decline over a two-year period.

She said: “Being involved in research makes me feel valued. When you’re diagnosed with dementia there’s not a lot you can do but develop coping strategies to outmanoeuvre the disease. However, taking part in research makes me feel as though I’m doing something which might help stop my daughters feeling the same inevitability a diagnosis currently brings. And research doesn’t just mean clinical trials. Social research is equally important for finding the best ways to live for those of us already diagnosed."

The call comes exactly one year on from the launch of a ground-breaking new service – Join Dementia Research – which allows people with and without the condition to find research studies in their area.

Join Dementia Research has had a good response with almost 16,000 people signing up in its first year but only around one in 10 of those registered with the service have a diagnosis of dementia, and more people with diseases like Alzheimer’s are being asked to come forward. Only one in three dementia research studies recruit enough volunteers within a year - this challenge can significantly slow the progress being made towards better care, new treatments and ultimately a cure.

The national online and telephone service is funded by the Department of Health and delivered in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research, Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society.

Dr Doug Brown, director of research and development at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Research is essential for us to make progress towards new dementia treatments and better care, but it can also empower people with dementia and their families to learn more about the condition and benefit from extra support. For more information or to get help signing up, call Alzheimer’s Society’s National Dementia Helpline.”

Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK and this is expected to rise to over one million by 2021.

To volunteer for dementia research, sign up to Join Dementia Research at www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk or contact the charity helplines: Alzheimer’s Scotland 0808 808 3000, Alzheimer’s Research UK 0300 111 5 111, or Alzheimer’s Society 0300 222 1122.