Age UK report reveals that 2.5 million older people have no one to turn to – Alzheimer’s Society comment
Sally Copley, Director of Policy, Campaigns and Partnerships
| Alzheimer’s Society
In response to a new report by Age UK, that has revealed that millions of older people feel that they have no one to turn to for help and support, Alzheimer's Soceity have released the following statement.
It is upsetting but unsurprising to hear that older people often feel they have no one to turn to. We know dementia can be an incredibly isolating experience with 62 per cent of people living alone with dementia feeling cut off from society, and over a third saying they’ve lost friendships since their diagnosis.
There are already over 2.5 million Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends and 330 Dementia Friendly Communities tackling this by changing the way people think, talk and act about dementia so people feel less isolated and more involved in their community.
But the solution doesn’t fall to communities alone. At the core of this crisis we have a social care system that is not cut out to provide care for everyone who needs it, leaving people isolated and without support. People with dementia can’t wait any longer, the Government must ensure adequate funding is addressed in the upcoming green paper.
