BBC Report: Dementia 'Burden' Underestimated

"I feel like such a national and global burden..."

According to BBC News...

Notice the language here, chaps and chapesses...

'The future global burden of Alzheimer's and other types of dementia has been underestimated, say UK experts. A report from King's College London suggests more than 115 million people across the globe will suffer from dementia by 2050. This prediction is 10% more than previous figures published in 2005, driven mainly by new figures from South Asia and Latin America.

The Alzheimer's Society said the data showed the "scale of the challenge". The rise in dementia fuelled by increasing life expectancies in countries around the world is causing widespread concerns.'

Interesting choice of language, isn't it? Instead of reporting that the number of dementia and Alzheimers sufferers is set to rise in the future, the report describes those suffering with the illness as a 'burden', and not just any burden but a 'global burden'. Does that sound like not-so-subtle news-speak propaganda or what?

I mean, anyone watching the report or reading that might think, 'Oh, Good Lord. I don't want to be a part of the national or global burden, nevermind a burden on my own family. Where's the hotline to order the 'Assisted Suicide: Your 12-Step Guide to Topping Yourself or Members of Your Family without Fear of Prosecution' leaflet?! The "scale of the challenge," after all, is so great and the burden set to rise by 10%. I don't want to be one of them. I'm doing the decent thing and checking out of this life early so I don't become a burden on the State or society or anybody...Get me a telephone...Hello, yes is that Hotel Dignitas. Get me a room. I'm coming in a fortnight. Yeah, of course I want en suite. Yeah...Yep. Actually do you do room service? You do? Oh, fantastic!"

Again, in the same article...

"The strain of caring for people with dementia is not just a social issue, but
an economic one, placing a growing burden on the working population and health
systems."

How shocking and outrageous! The economically productive have to foot the bill for people who were economically productive but who now have dementia and so are no longer economically productive. Now they've got dementia they're just feeding off the rest of us, even though one day I might have dementia, but that's scary to think about and while I am fit and healthy I'm just going to think about how terrifying it is that these burdensome people are still with us today...Burdensome dementia burdens! If I ever get dementia I'm straight off to Dignitas pronto to get myself put down like an aged, limping yorkshire terrier! Anyone who doesn't do that is just plain selfish and nicking my hard-earned cash. There's nothing worse than someone being a burden!

Honestly, who is going to be reported as being a 'burden' next? The mentally ill? The unemployed? The gypsy community? Children? Adults with learning disabilities? The language used in this report is sinister and insidious and should most definitely not go unchallenged. What an affront to all the people who do suffer Alzheimers and other forms of dementia!