Position statements

As public awareness and understanding about dementia grows, so do the number of requests for information about Alzheimer's Society's position on a wide range of issues.

You can find out our position on some of these issues below.

Each position draws on reports, briefings, responses and press releases that have been issued over the last few years.

Assistive technology
Carer support
Charging for care
Costs of dementia
Dementia care
Dementia research
Demography
Diagnosis and assessment
Direct payments
Driving
Drugs for the treatment of dementia
Ethical issues and relations with commercial organisations
Genetic testing
Genetic testing and insurance
How dementia care should be co-ordinated
Involving people with dementia
Long term care
Mental Capacity Act 2005, decision-making and advanced planning
Mistreatment and abuse of people with dementia
Anti-psychotic drugs
Palliative care/withdrawing and withholding treatment
People with dementia living alone
Safer walking technology
Stem cell research
The use of animals in research
Services for younger people with dementia
SPECAL

People with dementia and their carers face similar problems in all parts of the UK and the Society's position on these issues does not change across the different countries.

However, the strategies needed and the agencies that need to be targeted in order to achieve change are different in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For example, in England there are strategic health authorities (SHAs) and primary care trusts (PCTs), in Wales there are local health boards (LHBs), and in Northern Ireland there are health and social services boards (HSSBs) and trusts. These differences will need to be considered throughout the document. The text mainly refers to SHAs and but, in many cases, these could be read as LHBs and HSSBs.

In addition, in some cases legislation referred to does not apply to all parts of the UK and this is indicated in the text.