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| £1.4bn annual dementia care cost 'unsustainable' | £1.4bn annual dementia care cost 'unsustainable' |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Families cannot continue to shoulder the hidden costs of caring for a relative with dementia, a report says. | Families cannot continue to shoulder the hidden costs of caring for a relative with dementia, a report says. |
| It costs £1.4bn every year to care for the 45,000 people in Wales living with dementia, or £31,000 per person, Alzheimer's Society research has found. | It costs £1.4bn every year to care for the 45,000 people in Wales living with dementia, or £31,000 per person, Alzheimer's Society research has found. |
| Two thirds of the cost is currently met through private or unpaid care. | Two thirds of the cost is currently met through private or unpaid care. |
| The Welsh government said it had recently announced almost £6m in extra funding to help Wales become a "truly dementia friendly country". | The Welsh government said it had recently announced almost £6m in extra funding to help Wales become a "truly dementia friendly country". |
| Sue Phelps, Director of Alzheimer's Society in Wales, said costs would continue rising and called for a national dementia strategy for Wales. | Sue Phelps, Director of Alzheimer's Society in Wales, said costs would continue rising and called for a national dementia strategy for Wales. |
| The £1.4bn cost comes from £731m for health and social care, unpaid care equating to £622m, and £6m for other costs including policing for things like missing person inquiries. | The £1.4bn cost comes from £731m for health and social care, unpaid care equating to £622m, and £6m for other costs including policing for things like missing person inquiries. |
| "It is not fair or sustainable that carers continue to foot this bill," said Ms Phelps. | "It is not fair or sustainable that carers continue to foot this bill," said Ms Phelps. |
| "With an ageing population, the number of people with dementia is set to grow, so too will the costs. We need a national dementia strategy for Wales to set out how we will manage a growing issue for Welsh society." | "With an ageing population, the number of people with dementia is set to grow, so too will the costs. We need a national dementia strategy for Wales to set out how we will manage a growing issue for Welsh society." |
| 'We still have a mortgage' | 'We still have a mortgage' |
| The issue is not just affecting older people. Susan Hulme from Llangunnor, Carmarthenshire, was 59 years old when she was diagnosed with dementia. | The issue is not just affecting older people. Susan Hulme from Llangunnor, Carmarthenshire, was 59 years old when she was diagnosed with dementia. |
| Before her diagnosis, the now 61-year-old was in full-time employment, working with people who had left prison. Now she relies on benefits. | |
| "I thought I was going to work until I retired," she said. "We still have a mortgage, we still have bills to pay. All of a sudden that just stopped and now it's just my husband that works." | "I thought I was going to work until I retired," she said. "We still have a mortgage, we still have bills to pay. All of a sudden that just stopped and now it's just my husband that works." |
| She now has a befriending volunteer through the Alzheimer's Society who visits once a fortnight. | |
| A Welsh government spokesman said it had already invested £130m in dementia services and the extra £6m would help pay for plans to recruit new primary care workers who would provide face-to-face support and advice, and investment in occupational therapy on mental health wards. | |
| It was also providing new primary care link nurses to provide training to care staff and training more "dementia friends" who were able to spot signs of illness. | It was also providing new primary care link nurses to provide training to care staff and training more "dementia friends" who were able to spot signs of illness. |