Scotland is sleepwalking into a dementia care crisis

The Herald Scotland

9 hours ago

In a desperate bid to plug predicted budget gaps, members of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) across the country are choosing to find millions of pounds of savings from their older people and community care budgets.
Unfortunately, this is where the mainstay of community support and dementia-specific services can be found.
Among the worst affected areas are care at home, respite and day care services, which provide lifeline support to people who are in a moderate to advanced stage of their illness. Post diagnostic support services are also under pressure in some areas, despite a world-leading commitment that every person diagnosed should receive a minimum of one year's support.
To make matters worse, many families are also being hit with significantly increased charges for many forms of community support.
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All of this will place an inordinate level of pressure on family carers, while the lack of community support for people with dementia will without doubt accelerate their increased level of need – denying each person the chance to live well with support for a long as possible.
It will also place a remarkable strain on other elements of our health and social care system and will be nothing more than a short-term budget balancing saving. We do not need to look too far for evidence to back this up. During the Covid pandemic we witnessed first-hand the significant impact of stopping community services on individuals and their families.
Many of these latest decisions have already been made, with no opportunity for those whose lives will be profoundly affected by this slash-and-burn approach to have their views heard.
Henry Simmons is concerned over the cutsMost worryingly in recent months, we are aware of several specialised dementia facilities that have been threatened with significant funding cuts or complete closure due to financial pressures, with people finding out these plans with only months, sometimes weeks, to consider alternatives.
Scotland is sleepwalking into a dementia care crisis.
It is estimated that around 90,000 people in Scotland are living with dementia, and this number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. As the population ages, the demand for dementia services will inevitably increase, making it essential that we have robust systems in place to support those in need.
We believe this highlights an urgent need for a comprehensive review of the current dementia strategy and its main priorities. That's why Alzheimer Scotland has written to all MSPs, MPs and council leaders across the country, as well as to ministers and local government body COSLA calling for urgent action.
The impact of these cutbacks on individuals and their families cannot be overstated.
In the moderate and advanced stages of dementia, the need for specialist high quality support increases – yet this is where many of the cuts are planned or have been imposed.
Carers and family members are being left to shoulder the burden, leading to almost unbearable physical, emotional and financial strain. The lack of adequate support services such as specialised day care and residential respite care exacerbates the challenges faced by those living with dementia and their families.
We believe services like day care and post diagnostic support are an essential form of healthcare and should not be treated as disposable extras that can be discarded on a whim whenever budgets are under pressure.
It is not right that dementia care is left to a postcode lottery.
We are calling for a guaranteed pathway where evidence-based interventions are given to everyone with a dementia diagnosis throughout the progression of their condition – every time, everywhere throughout Scotland.
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This postcode lottery must end. Dementia care must be a priority and it must be regarded in the same way as other illnesses such as cancer, chest, heart and stroke – all of which have clear pathways and standards that are consistently enforced across the country.
Scotland's dementia strategy must take an immediate and effective lead on this. There should be no doubt what you will be offered as you go through your time living with dementia. It should not be left to local commissioners to make decisions purely based on how much money is left in their budgets.
Dementia is a progressive, terminal condition arising from many forms of untreated brain disease. There is no cure and no disease modifying drugs at present. We owe it to every person living with dementia and their families to provide the right care, treatment and support.
It is not too late to stop the decimation of community and specific dementia services. Our political and health leaders must act quickly if we are to protect tens of thousands of Scotland's most vulnerable people from these devastating cuts.
Henry Simmons is Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland