Personal budgets must not mean less funding or poorer services for people with dementia

The results of the 2009/ 2010 research show an end to a 15-year period of growth in spending.

According to the report, a possible reason could be that more people are being given personal budgets. 132,000 people were receiving personal budgets and/ or direct payments, of which 40 per cent were aged over 75. Researchers found not all older people given personal budgets were willing recipients - some signed up because it was the only way they could continue to receive existing support. In some cases, changing to a personal budget resulted in less home care.

'Personal budgets can provide control and choice - but we must ensure they are not used as an excuse for less funding or poorer services for people with dementia. We must also have services which support people with the condition, and their carers, to access and use personal budgets to best effect.

'In the longer term, it is vital we grasp the opportunity offered by the Dilnot Commission, and develop a solution to the current broken system of funding for social care. People need high quality care, and must no longer be forced to pay a dementia tax for poor support that doesn't meet their needs.'

Andrew Chidgey
Head of Policy and Public Affairs
Alzheimer's Society

Research reference: 'Domiciliary Care UK Market Report 2011', published Wednesday, 17 August 2011 by Laing & Buisson.