By Julia Senah, Clinical Director, Almond Care
As a complex care provider, I’m no stranger to the ‘finding a cure’ approach to progressive and disabling medical conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia more widely – of which Alzheimer’s disease causes around 70 per cent of all cases.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most challenging conditions facing the UK’s ageing population. 982,000 people are currently living with some form of dementia in the UK, predicted by the Alzheimer’s Society to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
I work with individuals and loved ones dealing with conditions and injuries which have, for many years, been the subject of curative research, so the question of whether the Government is prioritising one for Alzheimer’s disease is a natural one.
However, I’ve also seen the incredible value of the right complex care for individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions – which begs the question whether the Government is opting for this route instead.
Is dementia a priority for the Government?
Successive Governments have asserted the dangers of dementia to public health and wellbeing for patients, but what is being done about it?
In the Labour Party’s 2024 Election manifesto, the Government pledged to put “Britain at the forefront of transforming treatment for dementia”.
It is not yet fully clear how it will achieve this – we may see funding announced in the forthcoming Autumn Budget – but this key area of research is likely to figure into the Government’s pledge to “drive innovation” in pharmaceuticals and medicine and support faster approvals for new technologies and medicines.
In the realm of care, the Government had a lot more to say in its manifesto – citing the need to address the challenges facing public healthcare with regard to patient demand, an ageing population and ongoing staff shortages.
It pledged to ensure that “everyone lives an independent, prosperous life” in its social care reform manifesto, efforts which will eventually create the National Care Service for a “home-first” approach to care.
It seems likely, then, that the Government’s priority is transforming care for those with progressive dementia, rather than solely finding a cure.
What can care do?
Whether the Government is aiming for an Alzheimer’s cure or not, it will doubtless be a long process that is occasionally stalled by funding or force majeure.
In short, it doesn’t address the complex and shifting needs of those with dementia in the here and now.
Care, including complex care for more advanced cases of dementia (Alzheimer’s-related or otherwise), is looking like the order of the day for living a full and independent life with dementia.
Care in the home is often viewed through a narrow lens, but it can achieve a significant amount, with support including:
- Daily tasks such as cooking and cleaning
- Hygiene and personal care
- Social support and transport
- 24-hour or live-in care
- Night care
- Complex medical support such as ventilation.
In other words, care is a spectrum. Dementia is an individual condition which progresses at different rates and intensities, with care available and tailored to each stage.
The progressive of the condition is one of the most frightening aspects of the condition, particularly as memory and mobility issues arise more frequently and severely. Individualised care can be there to step in when new challenges arise and ease the transition at every step.
Care that fits into a person’s life and individual needs looks to be the way forward, backed by the Government’s social care-led approach to supporting those with dementia.
While a cure doesn’t seem to be priority number one, it is certainly supported by forthcoming pledges to enhance the availability of cutting-edge treatments and therapies for the wider population.
While we wait, care is there to help individuals and loved ones in the fight with Alzheimer’s disease.
To find out more information on how we can support those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, please contact our team.
