Northern Ireland

Three in five people affected by dementia in NI struggled with too little support over last year

Around 22,000 people live with dementia in Northern Ireland
Around 22,000 people live with dementia in Northern Ireland Around 22,000 people live with dementia in Northern Ireland

MORE than three in five people affected by dementia in Northern Ireland struggled with too little support over the last year, new research has found.

A report, 'Left to Cope Alone' by the charity Alzheimer’s Society said that support following a dementia diagnosis is "unequal, inconsistent and inadequate".

It comes after a study reveals three in five people affected by dementia did not feel they had received enough support in the last 12 months.

The research also found more than half of family carers reached crisis point in the last year with many having no idea of the support available.

The charity said this left people with dementia at risk of going to hospital with avoidable conditions like falls or urinary tract infections, creating unnecessary pressure on the NHS.

With around 22,000 people living with dementia, the charity is calling for more dementia support workers, who are specialists in the community providing the missing link between people affected by dementia and support after a diagnosis.

Bernadine McCrory from the Alzheimer’s Society in Northern Ireland said:"No family affected by dementia should face it alone.

"Post diagnostic dementia support is unequal, inadequate, and inconsistent, leaving families without the necessary care they need to get through some of the hardest and most frightening times of their lives.

"People tell us that a lack of dedicated support means they are relying on the internet to find out about their condition, or that the wellbeing of their loved one with dementia depends on how well they’re ‘doing their homework’ to find support.

"Family carers are at breaking point trying to make sure their loved ones are safe, cared for, while trying to maintain some quality of life.

"People need the right support from the moment of diagnosis."