Critics Slam Dementia Tax (UK)

Critics Slam Dementia Tax
26/06/2008

Thousands of people with dementia are being forced to pay large amounts for vital care, which is often poor quality, according to a new report published today.

Over two thirds of people with dementia are paying “Dementia Tax” for basic care such as help with washing, dressing and going to the toilet that they require as a result of their medical condition. The majority of people are paying at least £100 a week towards the costs of care, according to the Alzheimer's Society.

The charity says that the current system of means testing for social care is a tax on people with dementia whose care is deemed to be social care, rather than health care free on the NHS.

Dementia can be devastating for those who develop the illness and the families that care for them. There are currently an estimated 700,000 people in the UK with dementia, and this figure is expected to double in the next 30 years.

Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common type of dementia, is one of the biggest causes of disability in later life, ahead of heart disease, strokes and most types of cancer. Yet Alzheimer’s Disease is usually swept under the rug.

The survey of over 2,300 people with dementia and their carers found that people with dementia living in care homes are hit the hardest, with over half of people paying over £300 a week towards their care.

And two thirds of people caring for a person at home pay for vital care too, with one in three paying over £50 a week. The biggest cost was for help with personal care such as eating, washing or using the toilet.

life savings to pay for this, simply because of the way his illness is classified.”
Health Minister Ivan Lewis has outlined proposals to provide more help for people with dementia, as he launched the first ever National Dementia Strategy. To find out more about the plan, Click Here.
Angela Clayton-Turner cared for her husband for nine years before finally relinquishing him to a care home. She spoke to Keepthedoctoraway.co.uk about her experience as a carer and how her relationship with her husband changed. To read the interview, click here: Living with Alzheimer’s: A Carer’s Story.
Recently, best-selling author Terry Pratchett pledged $1million – around £500 000 – to UK charity the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, in a bid to help find a cure for the devastating disease, with which he was diagnosed in December 2007. To read more, Click Here.

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SOURCE: KeepTheDoctorAway
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