Dudley MP Ian Austin is backing the Alzheimer’s Society’s “Fix Dementia Care” campaign which calls for better care for people with dementia.

With no drugs to cure or slow down dementia, it’s social care not the NHS that people with dementia rely on every day.

In the UK, three fifths of people using homecare and 70% of people in care homes live with dementia. Dementia is among the most complex conditions that the social care system has to support, yet too many people with the condition are struggling to access good quality care at a fair price.

Alzheimer’s Society has been campaigning to fix dementia care to ensure that everyone with dementia receives good quality care when they need it. Their recent report Dementia – the true cost, based on testimony and evidence from people affected by dementia, social care professionals and dementia lead nurses, outlines urgent areas for Government to address in its upcoming Green Paper on social care reform. Mr Austin said:

“I am often contacted by people in Dudley who are struggling to provide care for people living with dementia.

“One million people will have dementia by 2021 and it is vital that there is a social care system that can deliver high quality care to everyone that needs it, and that isn’t so expensive that people can’t afford it.”

Sally Copley, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Alzheimer’s Society added:

“Dementia is the biggest health and social challenge we face. With one person diagnosed with dementia every three minutes in the UK, almost everyone knows someone affected but too many people face the condition alone, without adequate support.

“While much progress has been made to becoming a dementia friendly UK, including 2.4 million Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends trained globally and over 350 dementia friendly communities across the UK, people with dementia tell us that more urgently needs to be done.”