This week is Dementia Action Week in the UK. It is an ideal opportunity for us to tell you about our partnership with the charity Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).

ADI is our current STEP Private Client Awards Charity Partner. While entries to the Awards are free, we encourage entrants to donate to our charity partner. Last year’s charity received over GBP50,000 in donations.

ADI is the international federation of Alzheimer and dementia associations worldwide, representing over 120 countries globally.

Dementia is recognised as one of the most significant health crises of the 21st century. It is a condition that is little understood. The stigmatisation and misinformation that surrounds dementia remains a global problem. Every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia and there are currently over 55 million people living with the condition today.

Globally, ADI strives to focus attention on dementia, maintain it as a public health priority, campaign for better policy from governments and encourage investment and innovation in dementia research.

ADI’s vital work aligns well with STEP’s work in relation to mental capacity.

Through the specialist expertise of our members, we are working to design a globally applicable ‘powers of representation framework’, which jurisdictions can adopt to establish certainty and consistency in their legislative framework.

As global membership bodies, we can support each other’s work.

Through their global network, ADI can help spread the word and support our work to make a positive legislative impact in several jurisdictions.

We are also exploring the ways in which STEP and its members can help to educate ADI member organisations and their networks about legal and planning considerations in relation to dementia and the steps that people can take in this regard.

We look forward to working with the ADI team and are pleased to be supporting their vital work. To find out more and make a donation, visit: https://pca.step.org/charity/2023/alzheimers-disease-international

Liz Skinner, Communications Manager at STEP