Lord Louis Casi, Chair of the Independent Commission on Adult Social Care, announced that the fight against dementia should be pursued with the same seriousness and energy that has been applied in the fight against cancer. He emphasized that this disease should be recognized as "Britain's next great national mission."
Challenges in caring for dementia patients
This call comes following the release of a new report by the Alzheimer’s Society and the King's Fund think tank, which clearly shows that care for dementia patients in England is still at an unacceptable level and "a remnant of the last century." The report urges politicians to take swift action to improve the living conditions and care for these patients.
In his speech at the Alzheimer’s Society annual conference in London, Lord Casi referred to the significant advancements in the survival of cancer patients over the past 50 years, stating: "These advancements provide us with a roadmap for combating dementia, but with the rapidly increasing elderly population and rising cases of the disease, there is a pressing need for more immediate changes."
Bitter experiences of patients and families
The Alzheimer’s Society has previously criticized the NHS (National Health Service) for viewing dementia patients as "second-class citizens" and sometimes leaving them with pamphlets. In a new survey of 1,000 people caring for someone with dementia, about 51% reported that their experience of dementia care was worse than that of cancer.
Lord Casi continued: "When we decided to take cancer seriously and pay attention to it, significant progress was made. Dementia must receive the same attention. We need to give this issue greater importance and strive to respond to this national challenge."
Meanwhile, Professor Sir Mike Richards, former Chair of the National Cancer Commission, also emphasized the need to set clear goals for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia, stating: "Dementia is in many ways in a similar situation to cancer, but there is an opportunity for recovery."
As the government is set to appoint someone as the "Dementia Tsar," hopes for improving conditions and increasing attention to this disease have risen. Additionally, promising new drugs are on the way that could help improve the treatment of patients.
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