Sent on behalf of Henry Simmons, Chief Executive, Alzheimer Scotland By email and twitter

Dear Kirsty, Supporting Scotlands 88,000 people with dementia, their families, carers and friends I am writing to you to ask you to commit to supporting people with dementia, their families and carers, if you are elected as one of Scotlands MEPs. hrough your engagement with the communities you seek to represent in the European Parliament, you will know that more and more people in Scotland are affected !y dementia. "",### Scots are li$ing with the one form of the condition or another, though many of them are not yet diagnosed. hese "",### people ha$e hus!ands, wi$es, children, families and friends whose li$es are also profoundly affected !y the impact that dementia has on the person they are close to. %l&heimer Scotland is asking you, on !ehalf of these thousands of Scottish people, to 'oin MEPs and candidates from across the European (nion to commit to working together to support the growing num!ers of people affected !y dementia. Can you pledge to: Join the European Alzheimers Alliance the group of !E"s wor#ing in the European "arliament to ma#e dementia a European priority$ Support greater European colla%oration on dementia and ensure dementia is recognised as a priority in the European &nions pu%lic health and research acti'ities$ (or# with Alzheimer Scotland and support people with dementia in Scotland)

Please send us a )uick reply to this email, call us on #*+* ,-+ *-.+ or tweet us at /al&scot to let us know that you are !acking the thousands of people in Scotland who are affected !y dementia !y supporting this pledge. (nless you tell us otherwise, %l&heimer Scotland and %l&heimer Europe will pu!licise your support to encourage others to do the same.

0urther information is pro$ided !elow a!out dementia in Europe and the European %l&heimers %lliance. 0or more information a!out dementia in Scotland and the work

of %l&heimer Scotland, ha$e a look at our we!site www.al&scot.org or get in touch with our policy team using one of the methods a!o$e. hanks in ad$ance for your support. 1y working together, we can make sure that no!ody faces dementia alone. 2ours,

3enry Simmons 4hief E5ecuti$e %l&heimer Scotland

*ementia in Europe oday, close to " million Europeans ha$e dementia, %l&heimers disease !eing the most common form of dementia. In addition, close to ,- million informal carers are directly impacted !y the disease. %l&heimers disease and other forms of dementia are the most common of neurodegenerati$e diseases. %lthough it primarily affects elderly people, an increasing num!er of early6onset dementia 7!elow the age of 8#9 can !e o!ser$ed. o6date, no curati$e treatment e5ists. %ccess to ser$ices, treatment and support is une)ual !etween E( Mem!er States. he ageing of the population and the uncertainty around the sustaina!ility of healthcare ser$ices impose upon us that timely, tailored and coordinated actions are taken to address these challenges and ensure European citi&ens ha$e access to the care and support they need.

+he European Alzheimers Alliance he European %l&heimer:s %lliance was set up in the European Parliament in ,##;. It is a non6e5clusi$e, multinational and cross6party group which !rings together Mem!ers of the European Parliament committed to support %l&heimer Europe and its mem!ers to make dementia a pu!lic health priority in Europe. he %lliance:s mission is to foster concerted action at European and national le$el in the field of pre$ention, diagnosis and treatment of %l&heimer:s disease, research and social policies and influence the political agenda.

Achie'ements: o$er the years, thanks to the colla!orati$e work of %l&heimer Europe, national %l&heimer associations and %lliance mem!ers, dementia has !een addressed !y %<4=>E 7European ?oint %ction on Dementia9 and the European research programmes 70P; and 3ori&on ,#,#.9 European and international cooperation in research has emerged with the Inno$ati$e Medicines Initiati$es 7IMI and IMI ,9 and the ?oint Programming of @eurodegenerati$e research 7?P@D9. %t national le$el, *" Mem!er States ha$e a dementia strategy in place while others are in the process of de$eloping one.