CLACTON is in the top five dementia hotspots in the UK.
Interactive maps show the regions most affected by dementia, with coastal towns and areas popular with retired people featuring heavily in the list.
Christchurch in Dorset has the highest prevalence of dementia per head of population at 28 cases per 1,000 people, according to the maps compiled by Alzheimer’s Research UK.
After Christchurch comes New Forest West, with 27 cases per 1,000 people, followed jointly by North Norfolk, Clacton and Worthing West, each with 24 cases per 1,000 people.
There are currently 850,000 people living with the dementia in the UK but this is expected to rise to one million by 2025.
Dr Matthew Norton, director of policy at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Dementia is our greatest medical challenge and with our ageing population, the number of people affected by this devastating condition is only going to rise.
“One in three people have a family member or close friend with dementia. Despite this, there is still a worrying lack of public understanding about the condition.”
The maps can be found at www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/dementia-maps.
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