Local charity, RICE, launches the ‘Delivering Healthy Ageing Appeal’ to fund vital dementia research

This week, local charity RICE, the Research Institute for the Care of Older People, launches their
Delivering Healthy Ageing – President’s Appeal. The aim of the appeal is to fund a dementia research
programme and to support the growth of RICE’s clinical and research capability into new areas of
age-related illnesses.

Research activity at RICE focuses on improving three areas of health for older people; Thinking
Clearly, Moving Well and Staying Strong. The Institute’s aim is to fight for a cure for dementia and
the appeal will help fund research into Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease
and the decline of bone and muscle health which impacts greatly on the wellbeing of older people
and their families.

Based at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, RICE www.rice.org.uk is an internationally recognised
research institute, treatment centre and memory clinic dedicated to improving quality of life for
older people through its research and support for people with dementia, their families and carers.
Dementia is a hidden disease with significant social costs carried primarily by unpaid family carers as
well as health and social care services. Research into dementia is underfunded in the UK, according
to the Dementia Research UK, 1 in 14 people over 65 have dementia yet only £90 per patient is
spent on research.

As well as researching treatments for dementia, RICE hosts the NHS Memory Clinic for Bath and
North East Somerset. The RICE Memory Clinic receives referrals from local GPs, assesses patient’s
memory and thinking skills and provides treatment and medication for dementia. The RICE Centre
also runs courses for carers and Cognitive Stimulation courses for patients. To date the Memory
Clinic are proud to have cared for over 12,000 local people with memory problems and supported
their families.