Prime Minister invited to take the lead on dementia
Alzheimer’s Society campaigners invite Sir Keir Starmer and his government to create a better future for people living with dementia by taking their stories to the heart of governmen
On Wednesday the 27 November, Alzheimer’s Society will be supporting people affected by dementia to deliver a heartfelt message to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his new government by visiting his constituency and Westminster with the words of people affected by dementia emblazoned on digital posters.
Dementia is the greatest health and social care crisis of our time and the UK’s forgotten crisis. The campaigners, together with Alzheimer’s Society are asking the Prime Minister and his government to prioritise dementia. They have the unique opportunity to lead the country into a future where dementia no longer devastates lives. These campaigners need answers. Society needs answers, so they must seize this opportunity, now.
The unique messages (which will tour Westminster and the prime minister’s constituency of Holborn and St Pancras on an ad van) are from people affected by dementia, including presenter Anna Richardson, whose father the Revd Jim Richardson has dementia.
Joining Anna for the ad van campaign are Sile Tankov, from Northern Ireland, whose husband Stefan was diagnosed with dementia at just 39 and John and Nellie Suffolk from Bristol, Nellie is living with dementia.
Sile Tankov said: “My husband was only 39 years old when he was diagnosed with dementia which has been beyond heartbreaking made worse by the fact that so few people appreciate that younger people can get dementia too. I also want to know why less than a third of care workers are trained in dementia care.”
John Suffolk and his wife Nellie are asking why it can take on average three years for people with dementia to get a diagnosis, with Anna Richardson asking if it is acceptable for a third of people with dementia to remain undiagnosed.
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The group are calling on Keir Starmer’s government to leverage the upcoming Spending Review to allocate specific funding to support early and accurate dementia diagnosis and invest in dementia training for the social care workforce to ensure people living with dementia receive the specialised support they need.
With the UK Government preparing a 10-year plan for health and looking at the future of the NHS, it’s never been more urgent to get these important questions answered.
But plans alone are not enough - targeted funding and change is essential to tackle this crisis.
The Autumn Budget included positive first steps. However, it’s crucial that this funding is paired with long-term planning that integrates both health and social care services.
If you want advocate for a future where dementia is a political priority join us here: alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns so together we can ensure these questions don’t go unanswered.
