Councils and Councillors play a crucial role supporting people living with dementia.
1 in 3 people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. The cost of dementia care is estimated to be £42 billion a year in 2024, and this is forecast to rise to £90 billion by 2040. 63% of the costs of dementia care is borne by people living with dementia and their families.
There are significant challenges ahead to ensure those living with dementia have the full support they need – from the point of diagnosis to their ongoing care.
The Alzheimer Society have produced a template council motion to help you call for your council to establish a dementia strategy.
You can also download a Councillor Briefing and join their Councillor Network for further support and resources to help you improve dementia care on your council and in your community.
You can copy and paste the Council Motion below:
Council recognises the huge challenges we face in diagnosing and caring for those who suffer with dementia.
One in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. The cost of dementia care is currently estimated to be £42 billion a year, and it is forecast to rise to £90 billion a year in 2040. However less than half of people living dementia receive a formal diagnosis, and 63% of the costs of caring for someone with dementia is met by themselves and their families.
Local authorities have an essential role to play to ensure services provide timely diagnosis and adequate support for those affected by dementia. Furthermore many council services, from housing to transport, have an impact on people with dementia in their daily lives.
Council recognises the need for a Dementia Strategy for the local authority area – to outline what support people affected by dementia can expect from the council, and to develop a clear plan to improve dementia services
Council therefore resolves to develop a comprehensive Dementia Strategy with clear timelines, targets and project leads. The dementia strategy will commit to a training programme for all social care staff and establish a pathways to facilitate timely and accurate diagnosis. A public awareness campaign will also be developed as part of the strategy.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to establish a working group to plan and draft the Dementia Strategy for [COUNCIL NAME], in consultation with those affected by dementia and their caregivers. [INSERT APPROPRIATE SCRUTINY NAME] will review the development of this strategy and provide feedback on the draft before it is formally adopted by Council.