Last Updated on November 3, 2022
Alzheimer’s Society, people affected by dementia, and a cross-party group of MPs have called on the Government in Parliament to listen to people with dementia and urgently address the social care workforce crisis.
As social care job vacancies hit a record 165,000, the group urged the Government to prioritise the social care workforce, providing better pay, career progression, and mandatory dementia training to ensure people with dementia can live the lives they want to.
With the number of people living with dementia in the UK set to rise to 1.6 million by 2040, from 900,000 today, the pressures on the social care system are set to grow even further.
Alzheimer’s Society said it was critical to creating a workforce now which could deliver the care people with dementia need. Currently, people with dementia make up 70% of residents in care homes and 60% of people who access homecare.
The Workforce Matters report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, chaired by Debbie Abrahams MP and supported by Alzheimer’s Society, calls for a ten-year People Plan to create a social care workforce that is skilled and supported to provide high-quality personalised care for people living with dementia.
A survey of nearly 2,000 people1 affected by dementia revealed less than half of people affected by dementia felt care staff had a good understanding of dementia and over a quarter of people didn’t feel involved in the care received.
People interviewed for the report revealed carers lack dementia training and can sometimes struggle to deal with more challenging needs; people with dementia are faced with a revolving door of changeable carers, unable to build meaningful relationships; and family members often aren’t consulted about their loved one’s care and feel a lack of control.
Kate Lee, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society, said, ‘Providing good social care isn’t just about getting someone up and showered and given their medication. It’s about giving people purpose, and dignity and allowing them to have a good quality of life. Sadly, one in four people told us they didn’t feel at all involved in the care they received. My mum has dementia, and I know that personalised care is just so important for her wellbeing.’
Adding, ‘Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must prioritise social care. We need to see better pay and career progression, mandatory training in dementia, and an audit of the current workforce's knowledge and skills. A People Plan is the only way to build a better system for people with dementia, their families and hardworking care staff.’
The APPG’s report stresses that it’s not just people with dementia and their families in need of change in social care.
The call to reform the social care workforce comes after 26,000 Alzheimer’s Society campaigners signed the charity’s open letter to the Prime Minister, due to be handed in shortly, with ambassador Vicky McClure’s heartfelt plea to her social media followers raising signatures by over 8,000.
Visit the Alzheimer's website to download the report in full.
In other news, the Government must build 50,000 new homes for older people each year to tackle the UK’s housing and social care crisis – one in four of all new homes – a new report published today has urged.