Dementia Care 2025-06-03

Agrees with the hon. Lady and emphasises the impact on rural constituencies due to lack of Government focus and targets for dementia diagnosis.

Acknowledges the importance of community groups in providing support, citing several local dementia support groups in his constituency that offer vital support.

Agrees with the hon. Member's commitment to quality care and highlights the need for a blueprint for transforming dementia diagnosis, citing her visit to Warren Farm Lodge care home in Kingstanding as an example of dedicated staff.

Supports the importance of respite care and mentions Sandhurst day centre offering fantastic support for people with dementia, keeping them active and social for longer.

Agrees that early diagnosis is crucial to ensure help and support comes in time, reducing hospital admissions and improving quality of life.

Emphasises the role of community groups like Wrose Dementia Friendly Community Support Group and Shipley Memories Group that provide crucial respite for carers.

Highlights a constituent's experience with high costs for respite care, costing over £7000 for five weeks. Urges the need to expand respite centres and home care to support families.

Calls for full funding of the Devon dementia strategy to prevent early care home and hospital admission, noting a projected rise in dementia cases by 2040. Shares the story of Michael, highlighting gaps in day care facilities and quick assessments.

Urges for carers to be fully supported with alternative plans and rights through a carers strategy.

Highlights the lack of equity in mentions of dementia versus cancer in Parliament, calls for recognition of healthcare needs for advanced dementia and equality of access to appropriate care, regardless of geography.

Calls for mandatory training for all carers of people with dementia, echoing the concerns of the Alzheimer’s Society.

One of his constituents waited 18 months for a dementia diagnosis due to financial constraints. Encourages the Minister to direct resources not just to dementia care, but also to dementia diagnosis to ensure quicker access.

Commends Chris Bloore's emphasis on support for relatives who are caregivers and highlights the need for targeted support in disadvantaged communities and ethnic minorities. Discusses the exhaustion and isolation faced by carers and calls for better respite care, financial support, and mental health services.

Congratulates Chris Bloore on securing the debate. Discusses breakthroughs in dementia treatments and the need for a shift from care to prevention and treatment, requiring improved diagnostic capacity, including MRI scanners and other diagnostics. Highlights issues with NICE assessment of new medicines and infusion capacity, urging the Government to prepare for upcoming innovations.

Concerned about potential 50% funding cut for ICBs, which could negatively impact dementia care services.

Mr Brash's speech focuses on personal experiences with Alzheimer’s and the critical need for early diagnosis. He mentions his father's struggle with dementia, advocating for full inclusion of affected individuals in care planning. He calls for ringfenced funding for dementia specialist nurses and highlights that only 29% of social care staff have dementia training.

Mr Baker supports the need to include people with dementia in planning new strategies, highlighting their unique perspective on care needs. He agrees with Mr Brash's call for person-centred care and the importance of integrating specialist nurses.

Sir Alec shares personal experiences related to dementia, discussing how it impacts families over time. He emphasises the role of voluntary organisations in supporting carers and those with dementia. He highlights the creation of a dementia directory in his constituency to provide local support information.

Stressed the importance of volunteers in supporting people with dementia, raising concerns about a smaller cohort of younger people willing to volunteer. He highlighted that an ageing population will exacerbate this issue and called for more people across all age groups to get involved.

Expressed gratitude towards the hon. Friend's comments about volunteers, mentioning his constituency's older demographic and the dedication of those who do voluntary work despite their advanced ages. He urged MPs to look at what can be done in their constituencies to promote volunteer work.

Emphasised the importance of increased diagnosis rates for dementia and advocated for timely and accurate diagnosis, especially for those with young-onset dementia. She shared personal experiences and advocated for mandatory training for social care staff in line with the dementia training standards framework.

Expressed disappointment over the Government's dropped target of diagnosing two thirds of those living with dementia. She highlighted the need for early diagnosis and support for care workers as well as kinship carers, calling for a dementia care plan that provides timely support.

As a public health consultant, she discussed the importance of reducing risk factors such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking and alcohol consumption to lower the incidence of dementia. She also advocated for controlling diabetes and high blood pressure.

Initiatives such as Playlist for Life using meaningful music should be supported across the NHS. Training is essential, along with exposure to creative arts which have significant benefits.

In Caerfyrddin, dementia groups and memory clinics run by volunteers provide support for carers and loved ones. The Cathen Dementia Group runs a safe space every Thursday from Llangathen Hall and plans to have transport in place with the help of third sector volunteer transport providers.

In Peterborough, there is a unique partnership between families, care workers, and the city council called the Dementia Resource Centre. It offers vital services in the community for fast diagnosis and works to simplify the system based on needs rather than expecting people to navigate an already complex one.

Chris Vince acknowledged the importance of supporting young carers who face challenges in caring for loved ones with dementia. He praised Andrew Pakes' passionate speech and emphasised the need to recognise the role of young people and young carers.

Gregory Stafford shared an example from his constituency where a similar centre in Haslemere was saved due to community efforts, highlighting that such successes can be replicated across the country. He commended Andrew Pakes for his dedication.

Rachel Gilmour discussed the impact of dementia in her constituency with specific statistics on the number of people affected, emphasising the need for better care provision and workforce expansion. She highlighted personal experiences and the emotional strain on families, advocating for increased pay for carers and statutory respite breaks.

Warinder Juss stressed the urgent need for better dementia care, citing high prevalence rates in her constituency. She highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and community-led initiatives while calling for sustainable funding for social care services. Warinder also praised local efforts like Alz Café, which offers support to families affected by dementia.

Sorcha Eastwood raised the issue of early-onset dementia and highlighted a case from her constituency where diagnosis was delayed due to age bias. She agreed with Warinder Juss that urgent action is needed to improve awareness and support for those affected by early-onset dementia.

Claire Young discussed the crisis in social care services, particularly concerning the complex needs of people with dementia. She emphasised the significant impact on both patients and their families, advocating for high-quality care.

Agreed with the lead MP's points, emphasising the need to streamline dementia care services in Somerset to ensure clarity and coordination for carers. Raised concerns about the lack of funding and staff in mental health services.

Supported the lead MP by highlighting the importance of voluntary initiatives and the need for more financial support for mental health services. Emphasised that unpaid carers such as those with dementia cannot wait three years for improvements and need a fair deal now.

Highlighted the importance of integrated dementia care pathways, emphasising the lack of such support in Leigh and Atherton. Praised local organisations like Belong for their work with dementia patients and caregivers. Called for better investment in research and treatment to transform the future of dementia.

Called for bold, radical action from the Government to introduce a system that provides comprehensive support for people with dementia and their families. Highlighted issues such as constant uncertainty over support and gaps in healthcare services. Urged the Government to commit to providing guidance and ringfenced funding for specialist dementia nurse services.

Russell emphasised the significant burden on carers, noting that unpaid carers in her constituency often provide over 100 hours of care per week. She highlighted the shocking statistic that only about 67% of people with dementia receive a diagnosis and called for better funding and training for paid caregivers. Russell also praised local initiatives such as dementia buddy schemes and memory cafes, while stressing the need for consistent funding and support from professional services.

Thomas highlighted the emotional toll of dementia on both patients and carers. He discussed the financial burden of £42 billion annually, with £26 billion borne by informal carers. He called for better training for healthcare workers to understand the needs of dementia patients and mentioned his constituency's sole dementia-only nursing home as an example of specialised care.

McDonald shared a personal story about Pat Hirst, a nurse who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. He highlighted the difficulties in diagnosis and treatment, including Pat's experience where her symptoms were initially mistaken for poor performance at work. He emphasised the need for early diagnosis and better support for carers, mentioning that it takes six weeks longer to diagnose dementia in his constituency compared to the national average.

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Highlights the importance of local initiatives, such as the Alzheimer Scotland brain health and dementia resource centre in Clackmannanshire. Raises concerns about chronic underfunding and systemic issues within the Scottish social care system, particularly regarding the respite unit at Ludgate House.

Commends those who support individuals with dementia in his constituency. Discusses the impact of increased national insurance contributions on care providers, including those providing dementia care, highlighting operational cost issues.

Praises Wolverhampton's dementia-friendly city status and its local support services. Urges the Government to prioritise dementia in their NHS 10-year plan, advocating for specific measures such as funding for Admiral Nurses and improvements in diagnostic capacity.

Points out that dementia is not a natural part of ageing but a cruel disease. Notes the high prevalence of dementia in her constituency, nearly 40% higher than the national average.

The MP shared his personal experience with dementia care and highlighted the importance of local government in providing services. He praised West Dunbartonshire's provision of home care and residential care, which was funded despite budget cuts from central Government. He advocated for a Labour-led approach focusing on high-quality, compassionate care, early diagnosis, funding for groundbreaking treatments, and research.

The MP discussed the importance of dignity in dementia care through personal anecdotes. He highlighted poor home care experiences and improvements seen upon moving to a care home. Despite this, he noted ongoing issues such as carers treating residents without respect or adequate time for basic needs like toileting. The speech also covered his own family’s experience dealing with dementia, highlighting the loss of dignity and familial bonds due to the disease.

The MP congratulated Caroline Voaden for securing the debate and delivering an excellent speech. She expressed support and wished a family member of the lead MP well, without detailing specific policy views.

Discussed the personal impact of dementia, highlighting her involvement in setting up a dementia-friendly Oldham. Emphasised the need for improved care and highlighted the APPG's inquiries regarding workforce matters and inequalities in diagnosis. Also discussed prevention strategies such as reducing air pollution, managing hearing loss, and addressing traumatic brain injuries.

Stressed the importance of treating dementia seriously, noting that it disproportionately affects older people but is not inevitable. Discussed the economic impact of dementia (£42.5 billion in 2018). Highlighted the need for specialist dementia support in hospitals and communities, suggesting improvements to free up hospital beds and ease pressure on care systems.

Shared personal experience of caring for a father with dementia. Discussed the emotional toll it takes on families, highlighting the importance of supporting individuals to live independently at home. Emphasised compassion and empathy in dementia care.

Defends the Conservative Government's actions on dementia, highlighting increased funding for research and diagnosis. Questions the Labour Government's commitment to a dedicated dementia strategy and national carers strategy.

Asks about the Conservative manifesto commitment on the dementia moonshot and its delivery.

Questions the Government's removal of dementia diagnosis targets from their planning guidance, highlighting a 10% lower national diagnosis rate in Wales compared to England.

Voaden questioned how the government plans to hold local systems accountable on dementia diagnosis despite restructuring and budget cuts. She also asked for steps to improve data quality in dementia diagnosis, especially regarding follow-ups. Additionally, she called for support for care providers and training of social care workforce.

The Minister acknowledged the importance of dementia care and committed to supporting scientists and developing tools like smart-home technology. He stated that the Government remains on track with a target for two-thirds of people living with dementia to receive formal diagnosis by 2040, but noted that recent data showed an increase to only 65.5%.

Robertson pressed the Minister for a clear commitment on the diagnosis target in key documents like the strategic guidance for NHS England, highlighting the need to be certain of its inclusion.