The contract for the Office of the National Director for Dementia Research ended on 30 September 2021.
Join Dementia Research is playing a key role in delivering the UK Government’s Challenge on Dementia. This has a stated ambition that by 2020 England should be the best country in the world for dementia care and support, and for research into dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. A key objective is to increase the number of people with dementia and their carers participating in dementia research, so that 25% of people diagnosed with dementia will be registered by 2020.
By entering basic demographic and health information, Join Dementia Research matches members of the public to new studies, making it easier to participate in pioneering research, as well as streamlining the recruitment process for researchers. Anyone aged over 18 can volunteer, whether they are healthy, are experiencing early memory problems, or have dementia. Current research studies range from clinical trials of new treatments to surveys identifying improvements to the quality of life of people with dementia.
After registering for the service, volunteers can:
- Find studies that match their basic health information
- Connect with researchers letting them know they are interested in taking part in their studies
- Help those who plan for and provide services to improve dementia care and treatment.
Find out more about Join Dementia Research by watching our short animation:
NHS toolkit
The goal of Join Dementia Research is to provide the opportunity for anyone and everyone to be involved in dementia research. This will help to improve our understanding of dementia, as well as shape services and treatments available to patients in the NHS.
The service’s NHS Toolkit has a variety of case studies - a great resource for healthcare professionals to support the implementation of Join Dementia Research into NHS care pathways. They showcase work from across the health and social care environments, sharing stories, ideas, tips and tools to support delivery.