Leading charity calls for multi-billion-pound dementia fund for those being “ignored and neglected”

According to a new survey from Alzheimer’s Society, over three-quarters of MPs believe dementia care should be funded by the Government and the charity cries out for a £2.4 billion Dementia Fund.

The charity’s latest research has revealed that people with dementia are “ignored and neglected” by the Government, as the majority of MPs believe dementia services are underfunded and that urgent social care investment is desperately needed.

77 percent of MPs polled said that dementia care is underfunded, according to a YouGov survey, commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society as part of its ongoing Fix Dementia Care campaign.

The survey also revealed that four in five MPs think dementia care should be mostly or completely funded by the Government.

The Fix Dementia Care campaign has revealed that typically, people with dementia spend £100,000 on their care. Additionally, the campaign shows that people with dementia often face higher costs for their care, costing an average 15 percent more than if they had standard social care.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “The message could not be clearer: by far the majority of MPs believe large-scale government investment is required to improve social care, and yet the needs of people with dementia are still being neglected and ignored by the Government.

“Social care is in a desperate state, in urgent need of a complete overhaul. Decades of underfunding have left people with dementia struggling with a system that is unfair and unsustainable. The NHS Long-Term Plan will fail without dementia care being addressed.

“We are calling for urgent investment in high quality care through a dedicated £2.4bn Dementia Fund, while a long term solution on social care is sought. The injustice of people battling to get care, on top of battling the devastating effects of dementia can’t go on. People with dementia are as deserving of NHS support as those with other diseases like cancer or stroke.

“We’re calling for MPs to back our campaign and demand that the Government brings forward an urgent plan to fix dementia care.”

According to the survey, just over two-thirds of MPs said they would support a dedicated Dementia Fund.