The Rising Cost of Dementia Care

from Three Counties Now - March/April 2020

The Scudamores of Kentchurch

Dementia care costs in West Midlands set to soar by 66% over next decade as pressure on families increase The Rising Cost of Dementia Care

The total cost of dementia care in the West Midlands is set to almost double over the next decade, putting those affected by the condition under increasing pressure.

The latest figures for the West Midlands estimate care costs will rise from their current level of £3,376,000 to £5,297,000 in 2030, an increase of 66%.

The shocking prediction highlights calls by Alzheimer’s Society, the UK’s leading dementia charity, for immediate social care investment to be a key pillar of the Government’s forthcoming Spring Budget on 11 March.

The figures, calculated by the London School of Economics and Political Science, combine costs to the NHS, social care and the value of unpaid care provided by family members.

Worryingly, across England it is estimated that around 60% of social care costs are typically met by people living with dementia and their families because they do not qualify for state support.

As part of its on-going Fix Dementia Care campaign, Alzheimer’s Society is demanding urgent investment, backing calls for £8bn in extra funding for adult social care in England by 2020/21. The charity estimates at least £2.65bn of that amount could be spent on care for people living with dementia to improve the devastating financial and emotional impact they and their families face when accessing care.

Kumbi Mandinyenya, Alzheimer’s Society’s Area Manager for the Midlands said: “The social care system is unfair and unfit for people living with dementia. Alzheimer’s Society is campaigning to end this injustice.

“We are calling on the Government to commit to £8 billion in immediate funding to bring care to an acceptable level, as well as a clear timetable for long-term reform that provides a fairer system and ensures access to quality care.

“For far too long, families have been privately struggling to care for their loved ones with dementia, left to pick up the pieces of a social care system that’s coming apart at the seams. This can’t go on any longer. The Government must live up to its promise to fix dementia care.”

Across England, care costs are predicted to rise from their current level of £29.4bn to £50.4bn by 2030, an increase of more than 70%.

with dementia across the UK is expected to rise from around 850,000 to 1.2m by 2030.

The report predicts that as our population ages, a higher proportion of people with dementia will have higher care needs for longer, driving up the average amount spent on care.

Previous research by Alzheimer’s Society has shown that someone with dementia will typically have to spend £100,000 on their care. Many are forced to sell their homes to pay for it.

Alzheimer’s Society is calling for dementia care to be funded like other public services, such as the NHS and education, where the cost is shared across society, protecting individuals and their families from the devastating costs of specialist dementia care.

Today, the charity releases a hard-hitting animated film telling the story of one family’s financial plight to get the care their loved one with dementia needs. You can view it by visiting www.youtube.com/watch?v=- n7dh3rHlB0&feature=youtu.be n

To find out more about Alzheimer’s Society’s Fix Dementia Care campaign, and to write to your MP asking them to take action, visit alzheimers.org.uk/FixBudget

From one family to another, we treat your loved ones like we treat our own. We do not offer sterile care, only pure loving care. We are a new family run business with over 20 years experience in Adult Health, geriatric care, dementia, end of life and Mental Health. We have worked previous with high end clients such as a Duchess and extended Royal Family.

We have decided to launch our own unique bespoke care service to extend your home and values to ours. After many years in the Health Service we have witnessed firsthand the pitfalls and lack of genuine care and attention to detail.

There are many care services on offer, but time slots, rushed overworked carers and lack of training being major issues. What Happy House Homecare offers is a small experienced team of carers all highly dedicated, police checked and trained in the care industry handpicked along the way for their caring approach at all times overseen by ourselves who we will match to you for them to provide direct care to meet your needs. We will create a bespoke care package to suit with competitive clear fees and full insurance. We aim to deliver a different approach to home care.

We offer: • 24/7 support • Companionship and Personal Assistant Services • A Partnering Service matching you

with the right carer to the right home • We cater for a variety of care needs tailored to suit each individual • Home from Home Day Care • Live-in Care • Trips out in the summer • Festive Lunch

Please get in touch to find out if we can be of service in your loved ones life. Tel: 07782 539891 Email: info@happyhousehomecare.com Website: happyhousehomecare.com