Main content
Alzheimer Scotland has been a strong supporter of Amanda Kopel’s ‘Frank’s Law’ campaign to raise awareness of the issues faced by younger people with dementia and their families, and to extend entitlement to free personal care for those under the age of 65.
We welcome the introduction of free personal care for everyone who requires it, regardless of age or income, as the policy takes effect from 1 April 2019.
Jim Pearson, Director of Policy and Research from Alzheimer Scotland, said:
“Alzheimer Scotland wholeheartedly welcomes the extension of entitlement to free personal care to all who need it, regardless of age, from 1 April 2019. This is a positive step forward for equality for younger people living dementia and other long term or progressive illnesses. Free personal care helps reduce the impact of social care charges.
“We congratulate Amanda Kopel for leading the Frank's Law campaign. This successful campaign compliments Alzheimer Scotland's Fair Dementia Care campaign. The ‘Delivering Fair Dementia Care for People with Advanced Dementia’ report highlights that dementia is caused by progressive neurological diseases which in advanced dementia give rise to increasing levels of health and nursing care needs which are not currently met for those with advanced illness. The campaign seeks to end this glaring inequality by ensuring that people living and dying with advanced dementia have equality of access to the health care they need on an equal basis to those who have other progressive terminal illnesses, and which is free at the point of delivery.
“The extension of Free Personal and Nursing Care to people is welcome but does not address this inequality of access to health care in advanced dementia. We ask that the Scottish Government lead the way by committing to delivering fair dementia care.”
There are around 90,000 in Scotland living with dementia and it is now estimated that 20,000 people will be diagnosed with the condition every year by 2020. If you have any questions about dementia, or the support available in your area, call Alzheimer Scotland’s 24 Hour Freephone Dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000 or visit the website at www.alzscot.org.
To join Alzheimer Scotland’s Fair Dementia Care campaign to help transform Scotland’s dementia care visit www.alzscot.org/fairdementiacare.