Eighteen leading health and care organisations have this week called on the Government to provide a dedicated innovation grant to help providers adopt and roll out novel technology that supports the care of people living with dementia.
The groups, which including the National Care Forum, Care England, the National Care Association, and medical technology company, PainChek, have submitted an open letter to Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, calling for urgent action to improve the level of technology-enabled dementia care across the country’s social care sector.
Signed by around 100 private sector, not-for-profit organisations as well as private individuals, it calls for improved financial and strategic support for dementia care in order to enable social care organisations to embrace the power of technology and innovation.
We require the Government to make good on its commitments, and for our society to improve their support for people living with dementia
The open letter also demands that the Government conducts an urgent review of the status and progress of the commitments set out in the Dementia 2020 Challenge, which the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, launched in 2015.
At its launch Cameron explained that, by 2020, the Government wanted to see the UK become the best country in the world for dementia care and support and the best place in the world for research into dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Led by PainChek, the campaign launches at a time when dementia continues to be the UK’s biggest killer, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: “The United Kingdom has made significant progress on improving support and recognition for people living with dementia. However, we need to maintain the momentum, and to reach for the ambitious goals that we set for the Dementia 2020 Challenge.
The Government simply isn’t providing enough financial or strategic support to social care businesses to aid their adoption of technology-enabled dementia care
“We require the Government to make good on its commitments, and for our society to improve their support for people living with dementia.”
PainChek’s Pete Shergill adds: “In today’s increasingly tech and digital-first society, it is unsurprising that technology has the power to enhance dementia care and support care providers in the digitised world.
“But the Government simply isn’t providing enough financial or strategic support to social care businesses to aid their adoption of technology-enabled dementia care.
“As a provider of medical technology, PainChek is passionate about alleviating the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia and we have witnessed first hand how technology can help improve and transform the lives of those living with it.
“Now is the time for the Government to modernise its strategy for dementia care provision by refreshing its objectives and goals so they are relevant and fit for purpose today, and tomorrow.
Now is the time for the Government to modernise its strategy for dementia care provision by refreshing its objectives and goals so they are relevant and fit for purpose today, and tomorrow
“But the sector desperately needs dedicated government support and investment, now.
“A dedicated innovation grant for social care providers to help and support them to adopt and roll out technology that supports the care of people living with dementia, would offer a simple and practical solution.
“Being able to harness the power of tech would allow care providers to deliver more-efficient and effective care, streamline processes, and ultimately cut costs and save time – allowing staff to focus on delivering the highest standard of care.”