Minister: Determined to improve care

As the government launches a consultation into its first-ever dementia care strategy, health minister Ivan Lewis explains what the key aspects of the strategy are and why action is needed.

"It is absolutely crucial that people are given the opportunity to genuinely shape the final strategy. Last year I said we are absolutely determined to bring dementia out of the shadows and I regard this as the first step towards delivering on that commitment.

"If we look at the demographic changes that are taking place in society - the ageing population, the fact that an increasing number of families are struggling and coping with the realities of dementia - this is now one of the biggest challenges facing the health and social care system and, equally importantly, it is one of the biggest challenges facing many families. A stark statistic is that within 20 years one in three people over 65 will die with dementia. That is a very clear demonstration how challenging this condition is.

"The elements of the strategy are, first of all, the importance of early identification. The quicker this condition can be identified the more chance we've got of ensuring people have the maximum possible quality of life, however difficult and challenging the circumstances will become.

"That is about professionals but it's also about family members, friends and its about workmates. So it's a real issue in my view in terms of raising public awareness in a major way as well as training of professionals. There's also the question then of appropriate diagnosis and referral. For too many people are going along to GPs and saying 'these are some of the symptoms' and being repeatedly told 'well actually you're just getting old' or 'there isn't very much wrong with you'.

"And therefore we again aren't intervening quickly enough because people don't have the expertise and the skills that are necessary diagnose and then refer on to specialist services that can actually ensure that people do have the best possible quality of life because we're intervening early.

"[The strategy will look at] the importance of quality and flexible care and support for people and their families who are coping with this condition. Every family is in a different set of circumstances. The emotional trauma that people have to grapple with when you see someone you love deteriorating before your eyes is not something unless you've been through it that you can possibly understand.

"This is a condition which doesn't just have a very clear physical impact, it has massive emotional implications for a person with this condition and also with that person's family.

"So getting that support sufficiently high quality, sufficiently personal and sensitive is absolutely crucial. Whether its support going to people's homes, whether its support on acute hospital wards, whether its in nursing homes, we have got to offer people higher quality, more sensitive, dignified service than has been the case in the past.

"Finally, the strategy will address the issue of research. Clearly there is a debate to be had about how much we invest in research with regard to dementia, but also the nature of research, the design of research. So we're committing to hold a major summit of academic, universities, of the Alzheimer's Society and other organisations to re-evaluate, re-examine our research strategy and look at where we can expand.

"The concept of who is there along side you to help you get through the various hoops of the system is absolutely crucial, which is why we're talking about the possibility of designated care navigators in the future. Those navigators can be people including a social worker, nurse or GP. The notion of every family to have a care navigator to sit alongside them and help them through the health and social care system and the benefits system where appropriate is absolutely crucial.

"The consultation is, from the government's point of view, the beginning of bringing dementia out of the shadows. We accept it's now one of the most significant challenges in the health and social care system."