NEW figures have revealed that Inverclyde's five-year death rate for people with Alzheimer's and dementia is the worst in Scotland.

A senior charity worker has told the Telegraph that early diagnosis and work to break down the stigma around the disease are needed to help locals living with the condition.

Fiona Kane of Alzheimer Scotland said the organisation had seen an uptick in the number of local people being referred to their services over the last year.

Statistics just published by National Records of Scotland show the area's age-standardised dementia mortality rate, based on figures from 2017-2021, was 171.1 per 100,000 population.

The figure was significantly higher than the Scottish rate for the same period, which stood at 127.5 per 100k.

Ms Kane said: "Over Covid things were very challenging, a lot of people moved into long-term care.

"We have seen increased numbers coming through to access our services and referrals have been increasing since re-opening in June last year.

"The high levels of deprivation we have in Inverclyde will have played a part in this.

"It's very important people are still able to do the things they want to do after their diagnosis.

"Very often people are diagnosed at a stage where they can't make their wishes clear, which is why early diagnosis and post-diagnostic support is so important.

"Reducing the stigma around dementia and encouraging people to seek out early help is important."

Fiona says that awareness of the illness is often poor.

She said: "There are a lot of myths to dispel around dementia - it's not a natural part of getting old, younger people can get it and you can still take part in everyday life.

"We need to debunk the myth that people with dementia are different - they're just people living with an illness.

"A diagnosis is not an immediate loss of independence."

In response to the figures, an Inverclyde Council spokesperson highlighted the resources already offered by the local authority.

They pointed to improvements in post-diagnostic support, previous collaborations with the Scottish Government to improve services and leaflets designed in collaboration with individuals who have experienced the illness.

The council said: “We have a strong commitment to supporting individuals experiencing dementia and their carers.

"Recent investment and improvements in post-diagnostic support services mean that individuals diagnosed with dementia are offered up to 12 months of post-diagnostic support in a timely manner.

“In October 2021 we commissioned local third sector organisation Your Voice to develop and deliver a Dementia-Friendly and Enabled Community initiative across Inverclyde.

"It aims to encourage and support communities to become more dementia-friendly so that individuals experiencing dementia are able to continue to engage with activities and events within their local area."

The council added that it had appointed a dementia training co-ordinator to roll out and oversee dementia training across health and social care services.

They said: "A sustainable training plan is being developed to address the needs of different staff groups and ensure they have the knowledge and skills required to effectively support individuals with dementia, their families and carers.

“Many third sector services provide valuable services to people in Inverclyde who are affected by dementia and Alzheimer Scotland offer specialist advice as well as local support via the local resource centre."

Those wishing to access Alzheimer Scotland's dementia helpline can do so by calling 0808 808 3000.

The charity's Inverclyde dementia resource centre can be reached on 01475 261100.