Billions needed to bring adult social care system to acceptable standard, Alzheimer’s Society comments
Billions of pounds must be spent to restore quality and access in the adult social care system to an "acceptable" standard, peers have urged, Alzheimer's Society responds.
Billions of pounds must be spent to restore quality and access in the adult social care system to an "acceptable" standard, peers have urged.
A report by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee called on the Government to spend GBP8 billion a year to fix "underfunding" in the system.
Gavin Terry, Head of Policy and Campaigns said: “It’s great to see the Lords’ report building on our Fix Dementia Care campaign evidence to call for urgent investment. The current social care crisis is a dementia crisis, with three fifths of people using home care and 70% of people in care homes living with dementia.
“Although free personal care would be welcomed, this won’t address the full extra costs of dementia care that is so desperately needed – for example, living costs of people in care homes. People with dementia can’t wait any longer – the Government must focus on a comprehensive plan to end the inequity of social care. In the meantime, Alzheimer’s Society is calling for a cash injection of a £2.4 bn Dementia Fund to end the injustice people with dementia face today making sure they can get the quality specialist care they need at a fair price.
“We agree that this is a system riddled with unfairness, and it’s right that social care funding should be a public spending priority for the Government and the new Prime Minister. Throwing more money into the system without long term reform will not achieve the lasting change we urgently need to see.”
