Help the Aged strongly welcomes the new National Audit Office report into dementia. The tragic extent of dementia is not yet properly appreciated by society at large, nor is enough being done to support the vast number of people affected by it.

A sea change, not a ripple, is needed at this stage, since the number of people with dementia will double by 2030 and the rate of increase is even higher in developing countries.

The institutions providing care and support regarding dementia must be expanded and improved. However the greatest gains can now be made in the field of biomedical research, where lack of funding is leaving many potentially groundbreaking studies on the shelf.

Help the Aged is funding the Disconnected Mind, a £13.5m scientific project that simply had to happen. Its 1,091 older volunteers performed a one-off test of mental ability as children in 1947 and testing them again until 2015 is a vital opportunity to understand and combat mental ageing. It is only being realised through voluntary donations and still needs considerable support from the public to see it through to conclusion.

Prevention is better than cure. We must all strive for greater biomedical research funding, in tandem with better care and support for those who do develop dementia. The result will be greater health, dignity and independence for future generations.

To support the Help the Aged Disconnected Mind Appeal phone 020 7239 1982 or e-mail disconnectedmind@helptheaged.org.uk.

DR LORNA LAYWARD, Help the Aged.