Urgent increase in community support needed immediately.

FINE GAEL & LABOUR FAILING DEMENTIA CARERS – MURPHY

Urgent increase in community support needed immediately.

Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Roscommon Galway Cllr Eugene Murphy says that Fine Gael & Labour are failing dementia carers in rural areas and have fallen far short in delivering the necessary supports committed to in the National Dementia Strategy. 

“We live in a region where dementia rates are the highest in the country with Roscommon in particular repeatedly cited as having the highest percentage in the whole of Ireland, 1.4% - approximately 897 people. In Galway this figure is 1,873 or 1.07% of the population.  In many instances care is being provided mostly at home and yet those providing the care continue to struggle every day of the week due to severely curtailed home help hours and an outrageous lack of home care packages.  The bottom line is people with dementia and their familieswant to be able to live at home” says Murphy, “but without the proper supports they are finding it almost impossible to cope and this is simply not good enough.”

“Fianna Fáil is committed to ensuring that every person with dementia that requires home care has access to it in their own home.  We propose;

•an increase of 1000 home care packages annually, •to expand home help hours year on year, and

•to use the midterm review of the current dementia strategy to develop a revised dementia plan to address the   current gaps”

“I have been a long-time supporter of community organisations working locally with people with dementia and Alzheimers and I want to ensure that carers in Roscommon and Galway get the necessary supports and acknowledgement that they so richly deserve” concluded Murphy.