One in three people over the age of 65 will die with a form of dementia. Last week, the National Audit Office published a damning report on the Government’s poorly implemented National Dementia Strategy and identified a £1.356 billion spending hole in Labour’s proposals.
With the number of people diagnosed with dementia expected to reach 1 million within a decade, Labour have yet to grasp the scale of the crisis facing our country if the social services remain unreformed and support for dementia sufferers is not realised.
In this afternoon’s debate, I want to challenge the Government about the fact that the pledges they made to tackle dementia have not been matched by action on the ground.
I will also raise the bar for policy on dementia: Conservatives have pledged to increase the proportion of Government research budgets that is spent on dementia research and we want to ensure that NICE take into account the societal impact of dementia drugs to encourage more new treatments to be made available on the NHS.
It is not just those with dementia who have suffered at the hands of the Government’s inaction. Every elderly person in this country has felt the effects of an unreformed social care sector.
If Labour really cared about the vulnerable older people in our society, they would stop trying to fill up the blank pages of their election manifesto with a makeshift bill on personal care at home and a vacuous Green Paper. Instead they would start focusing on the millions of older people who are struggling to afford care home fees or access adequate support for their long-term conditions.
The Conservatives’ Home Protection Scheme for residential care, our commitment to dementia research and to cash-in-hand budgets such as Attendance Allowance and personal budgets show that we understand that people want to be able to take control of their own care in ways that are flexible and unique.
We want them to be able to maintain their independence for as long as possible and to access outstanding care thereafter: that is the practical way of delivering dignity in old age.
We are committed to reforming the social services and dementia care in a way that is both fiscally and socially responsible. Whether the Government is willing to match this commitment remains the question – and the people’s choice.
Comment by Gareth on January 27, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Does the National Dementia Strategy (and £1.356 billion spending hole in Labour’s proposals) apply in England, or is this the entire UK we are talking about?
Are we expected to reach 1 million people in England diagnosed with dementia, or 1 million across the UK?
You say that Labour have yet to grasp the scale of the crisis facing ‘our country’ if the social services remain unreformed and support for dementia sufferers is not realised. Is ‘our country’ England or the UK?
If the Conservatives increase the proportion of Government research budgets that is spent on dementia research, will that money be spent in England or across the UK?
Will the Conservatives’ Home Protection Scheme for residential care be available across the UK, or just in England?
Are you going to reform social services across the UK or just in England?
Comment by Terry on January 28, 2010 at 6:54 am
O’Brian said… “Every elderly person in this country has felt the effects of an unreformed social care sector”
Would it actually kill anyone in the Tory Party to say “England” when they mean England?
“This country” has a name, dammit!
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Comment by Jeremy Hobbs on January 30, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Pleased to see the word REFORM. With BRAVE legislation (from Day One) m(b)illions could be saved to fund real ‘direct care’ schemes. As a recently retired Registered Nurse I am appalled to have witnessed the resettlement of ONE man with learning disabilities necessitating FOUR so-called ‘multidisciplinary’ meetings of over an hour each with TEN professionals around the table. It could not and would not be tolerated in the private sector. In this case a maximum of two professionals should have made the resettlement arrangements with the cooperation of the man concerned and taken FULL RESPONSIBILITY for the decisions made. TOO MUCH ‘BACK COVERING’ TOO MUCH ‘BUCK PASSING’ and too many people doing as little as possible in highly paid and unnecessary positions funded by the tax payer. BRAVE REFORM WITH PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY CAN BRING A RETURN TO REAL BENEFITS FOR THE RECIPIENT OF THE SERVICE. AND THE SAME GOES FOR THE NHS TOO!
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Comment by Paul Martin on January 31, 2010 at 6:59 pm
One thing we do need is a Conservative Party. They have no idea how to govern. The Conservative Party after 10 years as the Shadow cannot even now communicate clearly there policies on cutting costs. The UK needs new leadership. No a Conservative Party. Not a Labour Party and not Lib Dem. We need honest leaders we can trust.
The UK does not need the Conservative parties. The North East of England still suffers because of the Conservative inability to fairly govern.
It was the Conservative Party who destroyed the much needs manufacturing and technology jobs.
We do need the Conservative Party.
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Comment by Rebecca on March 4, 2010 at 7:54 pm
This article answers no questions for me, what are the conservatives going to do different to the labour party?
As a final year social work student aspiring to work with older people in the community I would like to know who to support in the upcoming election.
What exactly can the conservative party offer the vulnerable public in terms of reform?
This article mentions nothing about introducing a law to safeguard adults, an area where the biggest reform is both needed and desired.
Comment by Janice Cook on March 11, 2010 at 12:22 pm
My father’s generation paid for his father’s pension and care needs in hisr NHS contributions. My contributions paid for my father’s pension and care needs. Now, knowing there has been a crisis looming for many years, there is no money for my potential care needs. I’ve got to find a large sum of money from ‘somewhere’. Labour want £20,000 when I die. The conservatives want a one off £8,000 compusory insurance (which will probably not be enough anyway). How does a pensioner ‘find’ £8000? Why not do the most sensible thing and create a ring-fenced 10p in the £ senior care compulsory health tax that people can pay throughout their working lives? That would be relatively painless, and far better than individuals losing the meagre assets they’ve worked for all their lives. It’s not rocket science, but sensible long term planning.
Comment by MArilyn Cox on April 12, 2010 at 12:55 pm
My mother died in 2008. She died of dementia, dehydration and constipation. In effect NO ONE was looking after her. I was told to rest for two weeks because I was close to exhaustion. I left her in the care of social services, district nurses, and dementia care specialists – yet no one gave her a drink in the last days. In England, 2008 this is happening. This happened on G>Brown’s watch. This can’t continue. We have had a serious case review into her death – yet what will happen now. Probably nothing. Care for the elderly is a priority. It needs proper funding. Don’t let my poor mums death be in vain – please give her a legacy. Do something to stop this from happening. She was a life long conservative in Tim Loughtons seat (she met him once) this is what is happening in safe conservative seats. I pray it doesn’t happen again.
Comment by Olwyn Venables on April 28, 2010 at 9:12 pm
My mother is 93 years old and is in the latter stages Alzheimers and Dementia…she is in a care home.She is barely concious and the worst is expected any day.She is being cared for in a wonderful home….the staff go the extra mile….its a CARE home.Its not the most lavish of places but its warm…comforable and above all she is treated with respect and dignity.A few weeks ago she was admitted to hospital….it was a dreadful experience…she was left for 2 weeks without being turned and got the most horendous bedsores…she never had them in her care home.She gave up eating because the food was placed out of reach..but we fed her with food we took in and she ate it.I could go on and on about her care in hospital but it would take too long.My mum has has a quality life and a quantity one…never any illnesses so she was never a drain on the NHS. Please sort the problems out for elderly care because my mum is the tip of the iceberg.
Comment by Rob Jones on October 19, 2010 at 1:56 pm
So that was Stephen o Brien speaking in Jan just before the election. They have now won the election and 7 months later what have they done about dementia care. Nothing. The quagmire otherwise known as Continuing Health Care continues to try to suck people into a quicksand of beauracracy so that they eventually give up and go away, probably selling their house in a desperate attempt to provide some care to their loved ones in their twilight years. Roll on those aircraft carriers. What would you prefer?