03.09.10
‘Absolute travesty’ in dementia home care
Substandard home care for people with dementia will result in 50,000 of them being forced into care homes and hospitals unnecessarily, a new report alleges.
The Alzheimer’s Society said today that a quarter of a million people with dementia are being let down by care and support that fails to meet their needs.
The report, ‘ Support. Stay. Save. Care and support of people with dementia in their own homes’, includes a survey of carers, half of whom said the person they cared for was being left without insufficient support.
Carers are at risk of stress, depression and other serious illnesses because of this, the report adds.
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society called it an “absolute travesty” and said: “The consequences of this represent an unacceptable human and financial cost.
“While staying at home is not right for everyone we know many people want to remain in the familiar surroundings they are used to with family or loved ones. Only with the right support will this be possible.”
Kevin Whately, an Alzheimer's Society ambassador and author of the report's foreword, said: “I know from caring for my mum just how much care and support people with dementia can need to help them live a quality life in their own home. We were fortunate that we had access to some excellent carers and the difference they made to my mum's life was immeasurable. It pains me to think that there are so many people out there struggling alone. This is an unacceptable situation that we can't let continue.”
To read the full report visit http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/supportstaysave
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