Two thirds of adults (63%*) admit to suffering embarrassing or annoying 'memory blots' three or more times a week, research from Bupa has revealed to coincide with the launch of 'The Memory Game' .
Those moments, when you forget a friend or colleague's name or even why you stepped into a room, are happening to over a quarter (27%) of us at least once a day, and to 96% of people at least once a week. Half (50%) of people surveyed admit they find these forgetful flashes frustrating, while nearly a third (30%) said they were annoying.
| Rank | Most common memory blots | % |
| 1 | Walking into a room and forgetting why you went there in the first place | 51% |
| 2 | Not remembering where you put your keys | 38% |
| 3 | Forgetting items off your shopping list at the supermarket | 35% |
| 4 | Forgetting a password | 33% |
| 5 | Forgetting where you left your phone | 28% |
| 6 | Being unable to recall whether you locked the door to your house or car | 23% |
| 7 | Forgetting what day of the week it is | 19% |
| 8 | Not being able to recall the name of someone you know quite well | 19% |
| 9 | Forgetting a colleagues name | 15% |
| 10 | Accidentally forgetting a loved one's birthday or anniversary | 11% |
"Regardless of your age, from time to time we all forget where we put our keys or what we went upstairs for. While occasional memory blots should not to be mistaken with the onset of dementia, these forgetful moments do give a sense of what living with dementia can feel like, and the emotions someone living with the disease can experience."
Professor Stokes adds:
"Imagine forgetting the simplest, and sometimes the biggest things, every single day and the confusion and frustration this can give you. We've created the Memory Game to give people a small glimpse of what living with dementia can be like."
The research was conducted as part of the launch of 'The Memory Game', produced by Bupa to raise awareness of dementia. The interactive online game simulates confusion, frustration and even poor vision, to help give a sense of the feelings someone living with dementia can experience. The game can be found here: www.thememorychallenge.co.uk
Bupa's research also highlights society's lack of awareness and understanding of dementia. Just under half of those surveyed (45%) estimate that the condition affects 1 in 250 people or fewer, when in reality the condition affects 1 in 14 people over the age of 65[1]. There are also more than 40,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 with dementia[2].
Professor Stokes explains:
"This research shows that there is a huge knowledge gap when it comes to dementia. With the number of people living with dementia set to rise in the UK to over one million by 2025, it is critical that we increase awareness and understanding so we can better support people living with the condition, as well as their close family and friends. This is why Bupa is committed to helping create a more dementia friendly society."
The research also revealed a lack of awareness about how early dementia can begin to develop. Someone who is diagnosed with the condition at 70 is likely to have started developing dementia in their brain in their mid-40s. Over three quarters of people (77%) don't think dementia can occur in the brain in the early-40s . More than half of people (57%) believe that someone diagnosed with dementia at 75 wouldn't start developing the condition until they were 55 or older.
Meanwhile, UK adults admit they only associate memory loss as a symptom of the condition. 95% of adults surveyed weren't aware that visual misperceptions and problems with recognition can be symptoms of the condition.