People with dementia who are being cared for in their own homes are not receiving the support they need from the health and social care system, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) has insisted.

Around 48,000 people in Ireland are living with dementia, the most common type of which is Alzheimer's disease. This figure is expected to jump significantly in the coming years, largely due to an ageing population.

As part of its pre-budget submission, the ASI commissioned an expert policy paper on home care versus long-term residential care. The paper was independently prepared by a UK health economist and it revealed that home care results in a better quality of life for the person with dementia, but at around half the cost.

The paper noted that the average European cost to care for a person with dementia in a residential setting, such as a nursing home, is just under €4,500 per month. For home care, the figure is just under €2,500.

In other words, home care is almost half the cost of residential care, yet supports in Ireland for people with dementia who want to live at home are ‘patchy, uncoordinated or simply non-existent'.

Almost two in three people with dementia in Ireland - around 30,000 people - are currently living at home and the ASI called on the Government to provide adequate support to allow them to continue to do so for as long as possible.

"Staying at home should always be a viable first option for a person with dementia. Nursing home care should only be considered when a person requires a high level of care, not because there are inadequate supports in the community. Keeping more people at home will enhance the lives of people with dementia and create huge economic long-term gains for the Government," commented ASI chief executive, Colette Kelleher.

Also speaking about this issue, Helen Rochford Brennan, who has early onset Alzheimer's and is chair of the ASI's Irish Dementia Working Group, pointed out that she now lives at home and ‘should have access to supports that will help me to remain there'.

"When I was diagnosed at the age of 61 there were no services tailored to help someone my age. This left me isolated and afraid. There is simply no ward like home. We urge the Government to support change for dementia now," she said.

The pre-budget submission calls for a number of things, including:
-Focused investment in home-based and community long-term care
-Increased funding to the ASI
-The funding of a national dementia advisor service at a cost of €1.56 million.

For more information on Alzheimer's disease, see our Alzheimer's Clinic here