Call to end paying for Alzheimer's care

27/06/2008

Counsel and Care, the national charity getting the best care and support for older people, their families and carers, today gives its support to the Alzheimer’s Society’s new report The Dementia Tax - Charging for people with dementia for inadequate care: the evidence for change.
 
Stephen Burke, Chief Executive of Counsel and Care, said: “This report exposes the failure of the care system to recognise the fact that dementia is a progressive illness and its care ought to be funded largely by the NHS.  Far too many families of older people with dementia have to pay for care that should be provided free at the point of need.
 
“Government also needs to ensure that the care that people with dementia do receive, in any setting, is of a high quality so that families do not feel short-changed by the system.
 
“Counsel and Care will work alongside the Alzheimer’s Society and its partners to secure that people with dementia get the right care and the right deal, wherever they live.”