United against dementia | Alzheimer’s Society

See this year’s Dementia Action Week video.

Watch the Video

This Dementia Action Week, watch what happens when kids interview people with dementia. We want to encourage everyone to have a conversation with someone living with dementia, and what better way to mark the week than with a video showing just how much people with dementia have to offer the world?

We’ll be ramping up our campaign activity to ensure the injustice faced by people with dementia in the care system stays high on the political agenda

 

Source: United against dementia | Alzheimer’s Society

Care Minister: Dementia is now our biggest killer so I want to see thousands more people with dementia involved in research | Care Industry News

More than a hundred thousand people with dementia are being urged to take part in pioneering research studies as part of plans to make England the best country in the world for dementia care, support, research and awareness by 2020.

With 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK and numbers set to rise to over one million by 2025, Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the condition which is now the leading cause of death in England.
Minister for Care Caroline Dinenage said:

“Dementia is a global health emergency and one the Government has not shied away from tackling – our world leading Dementia 2020 Challenge has led to impressive progress in how we treat and support people with dementia and now we are driving it forward to ensure we protect more people affected by this devastating condition.

“If you’re reading the Express today, whether you have dementia or know someone who has, I urge you to consider participating in research yourself through Join Dementia Research, or having that conversation with your loved one. Under 4% of people in England with a diagnosis are currently involved in studies but we need many, many more to help make the breakthroughs to beat this disease.”

To help tackle this global health challenge, the Government launched the Dementia 2020 Challenge in 2015. As a result of progress made so far on the Challenge:

• The current dementia diagnosis rate is 67.9% – which is above the NHS Mandate requirement of 66.7% of people living with dementia and rising from 59% in 2015.
• There are over 2.8 million Dementia Friends, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative to change perceptions and challenge prejudices around dementia.
• Dementia is now included in the NHS’s free general health check ups so people between the ages 40-74 years will be given advice on how to reduce their dementia risk.
• One million health care staff have received a level of dementia training so they can recognise and understand dementia, and signpost individuals and carers to appropriate support.

 

Source: Care Minister: Dementia is now our biggest killer so I want to see thousands more people with dementia involved in research | Care Industry News

Public warned ‘We are sleeping into a care crisis’ | Care Industry News

As the Chancellor prepares to deliver Autumn Budget, research reveals public unaware of dementia costs and leading charity demands urgent social care investment. 

The general public are oblivious to the catastrophic costs of dementia care, with many believing it is free on the NHS, according to YouGov figures (1)released today by Alzheimer’s Society.

People with dementia typically spend £100,000 on care over their lifetime (2) – a shocking statistic that the vast majority (81%) of people surveyed were unaware of. When asked what they thought dementia care costs, almost half (46%) said they had no idea at all. The most common answer was between £25,000 and £50,000, well below the true cost.

The research also highlighted that 50% of the public didn’t know that dementia care isn’t provided for free by the NHS. While there are pno drugs to cure or slow down the disease, people with dementia rely on social care for support every day, and decades of chronic under-funding mean families are often forced to foot the bill for spiralling care costs themselves.

Someone in the UK develops dementia every three minutes, and 850,000 people are currently living with the devastating disease, which slowly strips people of their memories and identities. Dementia costs the UK £26.3billion a year, which is largely shouldered by the families affected.

Pamela Jacques spent more than £200,000 in just three and a half years on care for her parents, who both had dementia, and even had to sell the family home to cover the cost. Pamela said: “My parents both worked until they were nearly 70 years old and were sensible with their money, but dementia care is so expensive. It isn’t something you can save for, and you shouldn’t have to.

 

Source: Public warned ‘We are sleeping into a care crisis’ | Care Industry News

Which? care homes investigation | Care Industry News

An investigation by consumer watchdog Which? has found that care homes are failing to provide contracts and may be breaking the law by neglecting to tell residents and their families about important terms and conditions.

Which? is calling on the Government to act now on the competition authority’s recommendations to strengthen consumer protections for care home residents and relatives including on contracts, unfair fees and evictions.

Andrew Boaden, Senior Policy Officer at Alzheimer’s Society, says: “The findings from this investigation are deeply saddening and shameful, but unfortunately unsurprising. Around two thirds (70%) of people living in care homes are affected by dementia. And all too often families of people with dementia have called us at their wits end, as their loved one suffers at the hands of bad contract clauses. Some have told us harrowing stories of people with advanced dementia evicted at a month’s notice.

“Moving into a care home is a huge and often very difficult decision. It’s vital that they and their families are supported in understanding their rights – the fact that so many aren’t is absolutely appalling.

“However, care homes behaving in this way is a symptom of a chronically underfunded social care system. The time for action is now, and the government needs to ensure meaningful investment and social care reform in the forthcoming green paper. Or the system will collapse, and people with dementia will continue to suffer.”

Cllr Linda Thomas, Vice Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

 

Source: Which? care homes investigation | Care Industry News

How our dementia campaigns kept dementia on the agenda in 2017 : Alzheimer’s Society

How we kept dementia on the agenda all year round

Rosie Leatherland, Public Affairs and Campaigning Officer, talks us through a year of campaigning for people affected by dementia.

2017 was a year that dementia was placed firmly on the agenda and we couldn’t have done it without your help.

From dominating the snap election with the dementia tax debate to confirming Government commitment to consult on a long term social care solution; there has been plenty for us to campaign on.

So what have we achieved this year with the support of our fantastic campaigners? Here are just a few of the highlights.

 

Source: How our dementia campaigns kept dementia on the agenda in 2017  :  Alzheimer’s Society

People with dementia receive little specialist support at end of life, despite high levels of need | Care Industry News

Research has found that, despite having complex needs, most of the healthcare received by people in the later stages of dementia is provided by GPs or emergency

Source: People with dementia receive little specialist support at end of life, despite high levels of need | Care Industry News

Shock as government CUTS welfare for Dementia sufferers: told they have to “care for themselves”

Pride's Purge

Until now, Theresa May’s government seems to have put an invisible ring-fence around dementia when it comes to social security, welfare and benefits cuts.

Probably because, in the main, sufferers of dementia tend to be pensioners – who also happen to be the most important demographic for the Conservative Party when it comes to support.

In fact, as opposed to other sufferers of illness or disability who have been decimated by Tory welfare cuts without a peep of sympathy, Tory MPs are extremely keen to show support for dementia sufferers.

Theresa May herself is an official supporter of ‘Dementia Friends‘ – an initiative by the Alzheimers Society which seeks to increase awareness from MPs and other decision makers:

So it’s a bit of a shock to see dementia sufferers are the latest sufferers of illness and disability to be targeted by Theresa May’s savage cuts to the welfare…

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Alzheimer’s Society responds to life expectancy figures | Care Industry News

 

In response to updated life expectancy figures from Professor Sir Michael Marmot at UCL Institute of Health Equity, Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said “Every day through our helpline we hear how the chronic lack of funding to the social care system over the last decade is devastating people with dementia. This latest analysis suggests just how The have been for the most vulnerable in our society.

 

Source: Alzheimer’s Society responds to life expectancy figures | Care Industry News

Funding alone won’t fix the social care system | Colin Capper | Social Care Network | The Guardian

Alzheimer’s Society is investing in three new research centres of excellence that aim to find ways to improve quality of life and care

Source: Funding alone won’t fix the social care system | Colin Capper | Social Care Network | The Guardian

Widespread unacceptable homecare practices happen behind closed doors | Care Industry News

Poor quality homecare is leaving too many people with dementia spending the day in soiled clothing, going without food or water, or ending up in costly hospital

Source: Widespread unacceptable homecare practices happen behind closed doors | Care Industry News