People with dementia stand to benefit from national care service plans

The proposals map out a three stage process which will result in a compulsory levy being introduced and care being free at the point of delivery. A cross-party national care partnership leadership group will be set up after the election to determine how the comprehensive national care service will be implemented.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'People with dementia are some of the hardest hit by the existing system of charging for care which can burden families with a 'dementia tax' of tens of thousands of pounds. Proposals to share this load have to be welcomed.

The suggested two year cap on care home fees could be particularly beneficial. Also the setting of national entitlements and quality guarantees give us hope that substandard care can become a thing of the past.

This is an ambitious plan and if all political parties work together it provides a real opportunity to turn around the social care crisis we currently face. However this will take time and we now need information of how the immediate funding shortfall is to be met.'

Ruth Sutherland
Acting Chief Executive