An MP in Somerset is calling for better care for people living with dementia.
Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington, backed the campaign following a recent visit to Reminiscence Learning, a dementia charity based in Chelston, and at the launch of a new Dementia UK report.
He said: “It is vital to people supported by local groups like Reminiscence Learning – where I learned a great deal during my visit – that proper help is available at the end of life.
“Few realise that half to two-thirds of this care is funded by donations and charities, with government funding only a proportion of what’s needed.
“That’s why I am completely behind Dementia UK’s call for high-quality and person-centred end-of-life care, and why in a recent debate on the need for better palliative care.
"I raised the tragic case of a constituent who could not get the right medications in their last hours because relevant doctors weren’t on duty at the weekend.
“We need to do better than that for people with dementia and a lot more Admiral Nurses would help to vastly improve vital quality of life for those living with dementia, and for carers.”
His comments follow the release of Dementia UK's report, Fixing Palliative and End of Life Care for Dementia, which warns that many people with dementia are not receiving timely, coordinated palliative care despite dementia being the leading cause of death in the UK.
Dr Hilda Hayo, Dementia UK’s chief Admiral nurse and CEO, said: "Living with dementia brings physical, emotional and practical challenges, and too many people are left to navigate this journey alone.
"With the government developing new national frameworks for both dementia and palliative care, there is a real opportunity to ensure people with dementia receive the coordinated, compassionate care they need at the end of life."
Closer to home, Reminiscence Learning is working to create a dementia-inclusive community in the South West.
More information on the charity is available at reminiscencelearning.co.uk/research.
Fiona Mahoney, Reminiscence Learning CEO, said: "We pride ourselves in supporting the full dementia journey for those living with dementia and their family carers.
"We are proud of the dementia research project we have just completed with Bath Spa University, looking at ‘what a dementia inclusive community means to you and how we can support your dementia journey.’
"This has identified the inequalities of dementia care locally.
"With this in mind, Reminiscence Learning have pledged to become the first dementia inclusive community in the South West, with the help of the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund."
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