Dementia Friends

Cameron pledges £2.4million for Dementia Friends Initiative.

£10million put aside for dementia research.

Wards and hospitals to receive £50million to adapt to dementia patient care

As a Heath Care worker it heartens me to see that the Government is at long last prepared to put it’s (our) money to work in an area that has until now been neglected and swept under the proverbial carpet.  As Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt stated, "Dementia is as much of a taboo as cancer was in the 1960’s."  He also admitted that the way society deals with dementia is "shockingly bad," adding: "We need to change attitudes."

So the Prime Minister and Health secretary Jeremy Hunt have pledged their support for dementia sufferers with the announcement for a £2.4million project to train a million volunteers to spot the illness and care for patients.  Currently there are about 800,000 Britons being treated for dementia and around another 400,000 are thought to suffer from it but have not been diagnosed.  So you can see the value of such a scheme, especially as Mr Hunt again says that, "Too many people with dementia feel cut off, lonely and fearful without the support and understanding they need."

Mr Cameron told ITV's This Morning show that, "We need to build a society where people can live well with dementia, enjoying the best possible quality of life for as long as possible. I want Britain to be one of the best places to be for dementia care."  If like me you are a carer or perhaps would simply like to participate in the ‘Dementia Friends’ scheme to find out how you can help in your own community without the responsibility or time of becoming a carer then please check out the website and sign up for more information.

Remember ~ Every little bit of effort, knowledge and awareness can go a long way!  Simple things like giving a hand with a dementia sufferers shopping, washing and ironing can be of vital importance and also free up time for a carer to do the more ‘heavy weight’ tasks of person centered care.  Let’s take Mr Cameron up on the challenge and make ‘Britain the Best Carers in the World, and be proud of it!”