The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland is demanding more funds from the government with cases of the disease drastically rising.
The rate of dementia has gone up to 64,000 people in Ireland, according to the society, and they believe that the government needs to start planning for the future now as that number is expected to rise to 150,000 by 2045. At the launch of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland Pre-Budget Submission 2023, they urged the Government to invest €19 million in community support for people affected by dementia and urgent infrastructure.
An ASI spokesman told Dublin Live: “If there’s a gap in services now, it’s going to get worse in years to come. We’re going to be in trouble in 20 years time when more people are living with the condition.
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“People are living longer, also there’s lots of research being done on brain health, factors that contribute to people developing dementia like obesity or hearing loss. You can reduce your risk by looking at these different factors.
“You can be physically active, eat a good diet, look after your heart, challenge your brain, stay socially engaged to reduce the risk. But unfortunately there's no one way to prevent it.”
The ASI is seeing more and more people being diagnosed with dementia. One in 10 people with the disease now are under the age of 65. There are people who are just in their 40s, 50s and 60s when they get it.
“It also impacts family members massively too”, Cormac added. “Dementia is a family disease, it’s a community disease, it affects every single person when one person is diagnosed. There’s strain on family carers and the whole family can be impacted.”
The ASI is asking for the following in the 2023 Budget:
€4.2m in dementia-specific Day Services
€2.3m in therapeutic support and education for Family Carers
€10m in Dementia Home Care
€120,000 in Inclusive Dementia Supports
€1m in Dementia Research
€1.4m in Memory Assessment and Support Service
The ASI’s Pre-Budget Submission 2023 can be downloaded at www.alzheimer.ie.
For more information on supports and services during this challenging time, please contact The Alzheimer Society of Ireland National Helpline.
The Helpline is open six days a week Monday to Friday 10am–5pm and Saturday 10am–4pm on 1800 341 341. Email at helpline@alzheimer.ie or via Live Chat at www.alzheimer.ie.
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