George Lawlor: Calls for Better Dementia Care After Loss

Minister, at the outset I would like to join, as everyone here has, in warmly welcoming to Leinster House, Cian and Jordan Adams, the FTG brothers, and also Cian's partner Helen, who played such a vital and key role in the whole 33 marathons of 33 days, you're most welcome. It was a remarkable fundraising odyssey and it has inspired people across this country. Your extraordinary determination, resilience and love, you have undertaken this challenge in memory of your beloved mother Geraldine, who sadly passed away at the young age of 52, but you've raised not only an awareness of dementia and has led to us remembering your mother, but you've also raised vital funds that will be used in the battle against this awful disease, and your courage reminds us that behind every diagnosis is a family, a story and a community carrying both hope and heartache. As we know Minister, dementia is one of the greatest health and social care challenges facing this nation. It affects tens of thousands of people across every county and touches countless families who watch loved ones gradually lose memories, independence and in many cases a sense of self. Indeed my own mother succumbed to Lewy body dementia just last November, so I and my family know about the major, the impact it has and that impact is profound, not only on those living with dementia, but also on spouses, children, siblings and carers who provide unwavering support every single day. Whilst progress has been made, too many families still unfortunately face long wait lists for diagnosis, unequal access to specialist services and significant gaps in community supports. In many parts of the country, families are struggling to access respite care, home support hours, day services and specialist dementia care when they need it most. No family should feel abandoned at the point of diagnosis or left to navigate this journey alone. And Minister, I want to also pay tribute to the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland, the ASI, who have done Trojan work and continue to do Trojan work right across the country in supporting families and those affected by this awful illness and disease. And please Minister, can I ask you to commit to meeting with the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland as they present their budget asks. Also the programme for government commitment, in particular the statutory home care scheme, must be something that we will seriously look at bringing into being following its insertion in multiple programmes for government. We have to commit to a system that prioritises early diagnosis and expands community-based supports and also strengthens respite services and ensures that adequate investment in dementia-specific residential care is also in place. We have to recognise also and support family carers. Their contribution, as we all know and has been stated multiple times, saves the state millions upon millions in terms of their input into care of their loved ones. They also provide dignity and comfort for those loved ones as well. It has been said before that a measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable. People living with dementia deserve compassion, dignity and the highest standard of care. It's time for us to remember and honour their voices and support their families and we have to look to an island where no person that is facing dementia is left behind. We simply have to do better Minister and I look forward to your commitment on this.