Support for all people with dementia

Bringing people living with dementia together to work, share food, use their long learned skills and remind them that they are valued members of our society, helps keep people well for longer. It improves their quality of life and enriches our communities.

But currently, the Ministry of Health only provides the financial support needed to attend daycare services to the full time carer of someone who is terminally ill, someone who has ongoing health or mental conditions or someone who has an age related disability. The carers needs are assessed based on their situation and the disability/illness of those they are caring for. They are then allocated a number of days per year to allow them respite from those they are caring for, or they can get financial support to bring the person who is ill to a daycare facility. People who live on their own or their carers are still in employment do not qualify for this support. Often resulting in people being unable to afford daycare programs that would greatly benefit their quality of life.

Ensuring funding for people living with dementia, regardless of whether they have a carer or not, means enabling people to attend services where they can be part of a community while in a safe environment.

Dementia can hit everyone, is not picky about age, or intelligence. When it hits a person who is young and therefore still working, it can take a while before it is recognised/diagnosed. Because of this, often people are lonely, having lost their job, their income and their working community. More and more people are living alone because of the loss of partners, and have no carers around.

All people living with dementia deserve to be cared for and given opportunities to be part of a community.