Alzheimer’s Society: Huge Task Ahead

Improving dementia care in England is a “huge task”, the Alzheimer’s Society has said. The charity is to work with the government to develop a new national strategy for treating the disease and increasing awareness.

Health minister Ivan Lewis believes the current system is failing dementia sufferers and their carers, and Neil Hunt, Alzheimer’s Society chief executive, has agreed, saying “for too long dementia has been at the bottom of the health and social pile. The new strategy represents a real step forward in policy towards dementia,” he added.

“Dementia is the health and social care challenge of the century. This is an exciting opportunity to make sure the knowledge and expertise we now have about dementia care and treatment makes a difference to the lives of thousands of people throughout
England.

“There is a huge task ahead. Currently, 600,000 people have dementia in England yet more than half of these will never receive a formal diagnosis and families are often left to cope alone until they reach crisis point. In less than twenty years over a million people will have dementia, we look forward to working with the government to ensure people now and in the future receive the care and support they deserve.”