The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia is investigating what people affected by dementia want from the social care workforce so that they can live well. MPs and Peers on the APPG are particularly keen to explore specialist needs of people with dementia and what the barriers are to accessing care tailored to these needs. … Read more
Visiting restrictions for care homes in England have been relaxed by the government as the Covid omicron wave has begun to pass. Since Monday (31 January) there has been no limit on numbers of visitors and self-isolation periods for residents who test positive have been cut from 14 days to 10 days with further reductions … Read more
Best-selling author and blogger Wendy Mitchell will be taking part in a series of young onset dementia webinars on 16 February. Webinar viewers are invited to sign up for “Authori-tea with Wendy Mitchell: What I wish people knew about dementia by someone that knows”, which will be broadcast from 2.30-3.30pm by the Young Dementia Network … Read more
Birthday treat: Military veterans charity Royal Star & Garter, which runs three care homes, held a tea party celebration for its 106th anniversary. Residents joined in the celebrations, including Paddy (pictured) in the Solihull home. They tucked into a delicious birthday cake and played anniversary-themed bingo and other games.
Alzheimer’s Society has called for action after a parliamentary question showing that government spending on dementia research has fallen. MP Chi Onwurah asked the government why total research spending on dementia had dropped from £112.9 million in 2018/19 to £104.7 million in 2019/20. The news came despite the government’s “dementia moonshot” pledge to double spending … Read more
Numbers of people with dementia worldwide are forecast to rise nearly threefold by 2050, a new analysis suggests. According to research published in Lancet Public Health, numbers will increase from an estimated 57.4 million in 2019 to 152.8 million in 2050. The current pattern of more women than men with dementia looks set to continue … Read more
Local memory clinics are “chronically understaffed and overworked,” Alzheimer’s Society has said, as a backlog of people waiting for assessments builds up and diagnosis rates take a hit from the pandemic. “On a local level, we’ve heard that one memory clinic, which usually performs around 20 (memory) assessments per week, now has a nine-month waiting … Read more
A project that aims to change perceptions of dementia has launched online, offering knowledge and expertise aimed at carers, professionals and families affected by the condition. Developed by the mental health and social change charity Platform, the website features interactive videos for organisations to use in supporting group sessions and online training opportunities, as well … Read more
Wendy Mitchell’s latest book “What I wish people knew about dementia,” due for publication on 20 January, combines her customary wit and wisdom for a more positive outlook on dementia that the one usually presented in the media. The sequel to Wendy’s best-selling memoir “Somebody I Used to Know,” the new book is described by … Read more
Local authority social care services are “in the midst of a national crisis,” social services directors said in mid-January, resulting in “drastic measures” to curtail services for people in need. In a survey by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) 49 out of the 94 councils responding said that they were taking … Read more