Carers Call to Action

The Dementia Action Alliance have launched the Carers Call to Action to transform the lives of family and friends caring for people with dementia.

By working together, leading charities, public bodies and providers aim to transform the lives of 550,000 family carers of people in England today.

For many people, caring can take place over 10-15 years requiring an intensity of vigilance, physical care and emotional support 24/7 from the family carer, often with scarce outside help.

The support of carers must become an integral part of the care and support package for people with dementia. When carers are well-supported, they can provide better care for the person with dementia that they care for, leading to better outcomes for all.

The Call to Action aims to ensure that Carers of people with dementia:

  • have recognition of their unique experience – ‘given the character of the illness, people with dementia deserve and need special consideration… that meet their and their caregivers needs’ (World Alzheimer Report 2013 Journey of Caring)
  • are recognised as essential partners in care – valuing their knowledge and the support they provide to enable the person with dementia to live well
  • have access to expertise in dementia care for personalised information, advice, support and co-ordination of care for the person with dementia
  • have assessments and support to identify the on-going and changing needs to maintain their own health and well-being
  • have confidence that they are able to access good quality care, support and respite services that are flexible, culturally appropriate, timely and provided by skilled staff for both the carer and the person for whom they care

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