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The Alzheimer Society of Ireland reflects on campaign to secure dementia funding in
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland reflects on campaign to secure dementia funding in government budget
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As the Irish Government commits to spending EUR 13 million on dementia, Avril Easton, Advocacy Manager with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), reflects on this positive development and their campaigning work leading up to the announcement.
InOctober 2020, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) welcomed the Irish Government’s decision to invest EUR 13 million in dementia community supports in Budget 2021. This was a welcome step in dealing with the sharp deterioration in health of both people dementia and their family carers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ASI’s Pre-Budget Submission 2021, ‘Dementia: The Forgotten Crisis’ outlined the detrimental impact of COVID-19 on people affected by dementia and the continued absence of vital services and the growing gap between need and delivery which is now more critical than ever.
A key element of the overall Budget campaign was our strong working relationship with the National Dementia Office (NDO) and the All Party Oireachtas Group on Dementia. Together we identified the key issues that needed to be addressed to combat the challenges facing people with dementia and their families. As a result of this combined effort, the EUR 13million investment announced included four key Budget asks:
1. EUR 5 million investment for community dementia supports, this includes EUR 2.5 million for The ASI to further expand our day care in the home service and other community supports
2. EUR 7 million to provide 250,000 hours of dementia appropriate home care
3. Funding of nearly EUR 1 million to recruit an additional 11 Dementia Advisers in 2021 (bringing the total to 30 in place by end of 2021)
4. EUR 127,000 for the Dementia: Understand Together Community Activation programme with funding support for a National Coordinator and a Programme Support Officer. There is more about this combined effort from the National Dementia Office perspective later in this article.
Budget 2021 marked another critical step in the understanding at Government level of the harsh realities faced by people affected by dementia. Research undertaken by The ASI at the height of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 highlighted that 86% of family carers were concerned about a decline in their loved one with dementia, while 61% of family carers believe their own mental health has been negatively impacted. People with dementia and their families carers are worried, stressed and fearful due to the continued closure of key face-to-face community services such as day care centres.
Another key component of the campaign was the contribution from full-time family carer Denise Monahan who highlighted how challenging it has been caring for a loved one with dementia during COVID-19. Denise wanted the Government to know how critical it was that investment was provided to reopen dementia-specific services such as day care. Denise’s father, Seamus, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago and has attended The ASI’s Rose Cottage day care centre in Dublin since his diagnosis. However, the lockdown and closure of Rose Cottage has proved very challenging for Seamus and the whole family.
Key highlights of Budget 2021 affecting people with dementia
- 5 million hours of home care announced (minimum 5% ring-fenced for people living with dementia which equates to 250,000 hours)
- Expansion of in-home day care service provided by The ASI y Expansion of the Memory Technology Resource Room Network
- 4 new memory assessment and support services across Ireland
- Recruitment of 11 Dementia Advisors in 2021 (30 Dementia Advisers in place by end of 2021)
- Education for staff in the acute hospitals about dementia and delirium care
- Implementation of the National Clinical Guideline on Appropriate Prescribing of Psychotropic Medication for non-cognitive symptoms in people with dementia
- Dementia: Understand Together in Communities funding for the recruitment of a National Coordinator and a Programme Support Officer y Carers Support Grant increased by EUR 150 up to EUR 1,850
- Increase in the dependent relative tax credit from EUR 70 to EUR 245 for family carers.
Despite the fact we were not able to lobby politicians in person we ensured that our TDs and Senators were aware of the issues that needed investment in Budget 2021. Over 60 people including 30 members of Parliament attended our Virtual Launch Live Webinar: ‘Dementia: The Forgotten Crisis’ in late September. We also had great support from the All-Party Oireachtas Group on Dementia which mirrored our asks in their Pre-Budget Submission.
We also worked closely with the National Dementia Office around the development of the Dementia Adviser service, which, we identified as an important service for people with dementia and their families that needed national coverage. We all recognised that no one organisation holds all the answers to tackling dementia effectively and that the lived experience was instrumental in informing the evidence-base; not only supporting the work but also directing it.
Following the Budget announcements the work still continues to ensure that these investments positively impact on people with dementia and their families as soon as possible. The ASI has met with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to discuss progress and further meetings will be held in 2021.
For more information on The ASI’s Pre-Budget Submission 2021, go to https://www.alzheimer.ie
