Carers at crisis point
More than half of family carers of a person with dementia say that they have reached crisis point in the last year and one in five carers report that they have had to admit loved ones to A&E due to a lack of support.
A survey of 1,000 people by Alzheimer’s Society heard that 54% of carers had fallen into a crisis, leaving those they cared for at risk of going into hospital as a result of falls or urinary tract infections that might have been avoided.
The charity also found, in its Left to Cope Alone report launched at the Local Government Association conference, that three out of five (61%) of people affected by dementia did not feel that they had received enough support in the past 12 months.
Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Kate Lee said that family carers were at breaking point, adding that post-diagnostic support was unequal and inadequate, leaving families without the care they needed.
“People need the right support from the moment of diagnosis,” Lee said. “Having a dedicated dementia support worker in every area would plug the gaps we’re seeing in primary care, give people the one point of contact to help them navigate the health and social care system and ease pressure on health services.”