Public are 'sleepwalking' into care crisis

Figures released by the Alzheimer’s Society have revealed that the general public are unaware of the costs of dementia care, with many believing it is free on the NHS.

The YouGov data finds that 81 per cent of people surveyed were unaware that those with dementia typically spend £100,000 on care over their lifetime. In fact, 46 per cent were unaware of approximate costs, with the most common estimate between £25,000 and £50,000, well below the true cost.

The research also highlighted that 50 per cent of the public didn’t know that dementia care isn’t provided for free by the NHS. While there are no drugs to cure or slow down the disease, people with dementia rely on social care for support every day, and decades of chronic under-funding mean families are often forced to foot the bill for spiralling care costs themselves.

Dementia costs the UK £26.3 billion a year, which is largely shouldered by the families affected. The charity is warning that recent funding for winter services is a false economy, piling pressure on the NHS. It is therefore urging Chancellor Philip Hammond to use his upcoming Autumn Budget to ring-fence £2.5 billion for social care, in order to plug the current funding gap. In the longer term, it is campaigning for the government to create a joined-up system, including an NHS Dementia Fund to help cover care costs and end the inequity with other diseases.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “A million people in the UK will have dementia by 2021. With the current care system leaving families in financial ruin and the general public largely oblivious, we are sleepwalking into a crisis. Recent funding announcements will only prevent the immediate total collapse of support, and only for those who do get some state help. The government must recognise the true cost and guarantee everyone with dementia access to the care they want, need and deserve.”