Care and Support Alliance demands Government action

The survey revealed, because of a lack of care:

• 1 in 5 felt unsafe moving around their own home, and 4 in 10 can’t leave it.
• 1 in 5 said they’ve gone without meals.
• 1 in 4 said they’ve needed hospital treatment and 1 in 8 told us they’ve been delayed leaving hospital because of not being able to get the care they need.
• Over a quarter have been unable to maintain basics like washing, dressing, visiting the toilet.
• Over 1 in 7 (16%) have had care packages reduced, even though their needs have increased or stayed the same. 
• Over 1 in 5 have not been able to work.

Sally Copley, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Alzheimer's Society, commented:

'Once again, the disturbing findings of this investigation confirm that decades of squeezed Government funding has a human price.

'Our helpline is inundated by people with dementia and their families in crisis, from someone forced to choose between a hot meal and wash during a homecare visit, to a woman left with rotten food in the fridge, and unwashed for days at a time, and another who became incontinent because there weren’t enough staff to support her to go to the toilet.

'Seven in 10 people in care homes, and almost two-thirds of people who get home care have dementia – the deepening social care crisis is a dementia crisis. With one person developing dementia every three minutes in the UK, we need the Government’s focus on creating a social care system capable of looking after every single person with dementia who needs it, now and in the future.'