Access to quality dementia care

A report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that care homes are underfunded to the tune of £1 billion a year. The consequence of this underfunding is poor quality care and lack of choice.

The government has announced annual increases in the funds available for social services. The Society welcomes this commitment. However, more needs to be done to support the needs of people with dementia if the government is to deliver on its objectives of creating choice, equity of provision and promotion of independence for older people.

Older people have the right to be guaranteed high quality care tailored to meet their individual needs. The Alzheimer’s Society is part of the Fair Rate for Care Campaign which is calling for:

• A permanent improvement in local authority fee levels
• Improved government regulation of local authority care commissioning to ensure transparency
• A strategic research body to review the national pricing and performance policies in care, and to make recommendations about future levels of needs and services
• Regional and local planning between health, social services and the independent sector, which puts into practice the recommendations of the strategic research body.