The charity Alzheimer’s Society is demanding that all political parties need to make dementia care a priority when preparing their manifestos for the forthcoming election. It has published damning figures from new research, which show that less than a quarter of dementia sufferers feel that their needs are being adequately met, whilst even fewer consider that staff providing care have received enough training. Access to respite breaks for was also found to be lacking, with just 12% of carers able to take regular breaks. In other research, the Society has found that MPs are keen to improve the situation, with 81% of politicians surveyed saying that a long-term solution to social care funding needs to be higher up the political agenda. Another 67% believe that the current system of charging for personal care – which is free in Scotland – is unfair on people that suffer from dementia. The charity’s chief executive Neil Hunt comments: ‘It is unacceptable for a care service to be failing such a vulnerable group to such a staggering degree…It has been reassuring to hear the political parties talking about adult social care this year but now with an election imminent we need more detail…We now need to hear guarantees on how each of the parties would provide a fair, transparent and high quality social care system.’ The Society is making three key demands to MPs in the run-up to the election, on behalf of the UK’s 700,000 dementia sufferers:
- Details of how they will provide a high quality social care service, and how this will meet the needs of people with dementia and their carers.
Confirmation that the non means-tested benefit Attendance Allowance, which provides vital extra income for thousands of people, will not be abolished.
Prioritisation and funding of dementia research, which is currently grossly underfunded compared to research into other conditions.
posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
23:30
