Call to give family carers the same status as key workers

FAMILY CARERS should be given key worker status and regular coronavirus tests, a charity has said, as dementia sufferers’ symptoms continue to worsen.

More than four in five adults with dementia, or their carers, reported memory, speech and the ability to perform daily tasks deteriorating during lockdown, the Alzheimer’s Society said.

Around half of these said memory or concentration had worsened, according to the survey of 1,831 people.

A third said speaking and understanding speech had become more difficult, and more than a quarter (28 per cent) had seen a loss in the ability to perform tasks such as getting dressed.

Family members who care for relatives with dementia living in care homes or at home should be given the same regular access to tests as key workers, the charity believes. It is part of a coalition of leading dementia charities calling for family carers to be seen as equal partners in care, which would guarantee them access to visit loved ones in care homes.

Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Kate Lee said: “With the right support, many people with dementia can continue living independently for years but the pandemic is robbing them of that chance. Make no mistake: people with dementia are at huge risk from a second wave if we don’t take urgent steps to protect them.

“It’s encouraging that the Government has recognised the importance of social contact for those in care homes but they have to ensure family carers are seen as equal partners in care.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “We are providing over £500,000 in financial support to the Alzheimer’s Society for their Dementia Connect programme, which is offering vital support, and have recently updated our care home visiting guidance so people are able to see loved ones safely.”