Wednesday evening saw the 1st part of a 2 part Panorama documentary called “Crisis in Care”

In the first of a two part series, the BBC’s social affairs correspondent Alison Holt has filmed in Somerset for a year, focusing on four families, all exhausted by the demands of caring 24 hours a day for their loved ones, and desperately trying to get more help.

She also follows the fortunes of the county council who, like local authorities everywhere, are fighting to balance their books after years of budget cuts.

It was a horrific snapshot of what is so wrong with the UK at this time.

My first response via Twitter was:

” #FixDementiaCare Panorama “Crisis in Care” a shocking indictment on Social Care in the UK, the raw cruelty of Government Policy laid bare, the shame of a Government unwilling to care for its most vulnerable, a generation of Politicians so out of touch with reality “

Then to cap it all, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond was on Breakfast TV, talking about the Tory leadership challenge and No Deal Brexit.

He talked about a magical pot of around £38bn which would be available if we leave the EU with a deal.

One of the things it could be spent on is tax cuts, really.

Council funding has been cut by 2 thirds, the long awaited Green paper has been kicked to the curb, maybe it will be published next year, the Disabled and Carers are not getting the support they are legally entitled to, decisions may be made around cost, which can lead to a person being put in a care home against their wishes to save money and people living in abject poverty.

Responding on Twitter:

” @PhilipHammondUK on @BBCNews this morning. If we leave EU with deal, 38bn available, 1 option is tax cuts, is he so out of touch with the human catastrophe of people who live with poverty and disabilities “

Followed by:

” The reaction of UK Government to @Alston_UNSR UN report was “unbelievable”, the response of people living in poverty & with Disabilities to tax cuts instead of funding services and Social Care is UNBELIEVABLE “

Part 2 is on this Wednesday at 9pm BST, which if it continues on the same theme, will be a shocking indictment of British Society and values.

This week is Scottish Awareness Week 2019

Tomorrow is the Alzheimer’s Society Scotland Conference

Allied Health Professionals #Scotland Supporting #DementiaAwareness Week

You can find a list of a few of the events here

More local events here

Scottish Dementia News here

Petitions

See dementia as a terminal illness so under 65’s are instantly eligible for PIP (9 Oct 19)

Petition – The lack of provision of social care in the UK is leading to immense distress for all people affected by dementia and their care partners.

Petition – Pay Carers an allowance equivalent to a fulltime job at the National Living wage

Petition – No more PIP Assessments for People with Life Long Disability or Conditions

Justice for Jodey Whiting. Independent inquiry into deaths linked to the DWP

Consultations

Consultation – Learning disability and autism training for health and care staff

Australian Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability

Investigating the impact of stigma on people living with dementia and carers: A questionnaire study PART 1

General Pharmaceutical Council – Consultation on guidance for pharmacist prescribers

Survey

Welcome to the Dementia 2020 Citizens’ Engagement Panel online Hub

Tell us your experience of living with Dementia

Sheffield CCG – Urgent Care Review 2019

Videos

Newsletters

Alzheimer Europe – May 2019

LEAD Coalition News – May 2019

Young Onset Dementia Alzheimer’s Group (YODA) – Newsletter No: 2

Blog

“I’m always saying, ‘Don’t dwell on what you’ve lost’………but this time dementia has found something to beat me with by taking away my love of a cuppa tea…….I say, ‘dementia’ is responsible because I’ve got no one else to blame it on at the mo. It might be totally unrelated, but dementia is a good starting point for me.“

Wendy Mitchell’s blog titled This time dementia might just have beaten me……