Warning over rise in dementia figures
THE number of people with dementia in the North East will soar by more than 36% over the next decade, according to a report commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Society.
It predicts that as our population ages, a higher proportion of people with dementia will have higher care needs for longer, driving up the average amount spent on care.
The figures, from the London School of Economics and Political Science, show more than 60% a year of social care costs in England will fall on people with dementia and their families.
In the North East, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase from its current figure of 37,988 to 51,913 in 2030.
Previous research by Alzheimer’s Society has shown that someone with dementia will typically have to spend £100,000 on their care. Many are forced to sell their homes to pay for it.
As part of its Fix Dementia Care campaign ahead of the general election, Alzheimer’s Society’s is calling for all political parties to commit to radically reform dementia care.
It believes that like other public services such as the NHS and education, the cost of funding should be shared across society, protecting individuals and their families from the devastating costs of specialist dementia care. Alzheimer’s Society released the figures as it launches its election manifesto, “Dealing with the dementia dilemma”.
Judith King, Head of Northern Region, said: “Dementia is heartbreaking for families. It’s not right that those going through it have to battle to get the care they need on top of battling the disease.
“From the working mum struggling to find hundreds of pounds every week to ‘top up’ her mum’s council-funded care home place, to the woman who had to sell her home of 50 years to pay for her husband’s care, families affected by dementia are already at breaking point. With costs set to treble in the next two decades, how on earth will they cope?
“The cost of dementia care is too much for an individual to bear. It should be spread between us – just like schools, the NHS and other public services. Every party must go into this election with a solid plan to radically reform dementia care. Families in crisis need action, and they need it now.”
In its “Dealing with the dementia dilemma” manifesto published ahead of the election, Alzheimer’s Society is calling for three commitments from the next government. l Radically reform dementia care to address the specific needs of people with dementia, ending the daily injustice they, and their families, face in accessing the good quality care to which they are entitled. l Ensure that people with dementia can participate in their communities on the same basis as everyone else. l Close the research funding gap between dementia and other disease areas to ensure new treatments and life-changing care interventions are available to everyone living with dementia, as soon as possible.