Film revealing the true cost of dementia care to be screened in Inverness
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A FORMER Inverness Courier journalist will introduce a new campaign film by Alzheimer Scotland which will be screened in the city.
Retired journalist, Mike Edwards has produced Dementia: The True Cost which will be shown from 11am on Thursday, November 7, at the charity’s resource centre in Strothers Lane.
Residents are being encouraged to attend the event and find out more about the campaign and the support available locally for those living with dementia.
The national dementia charity has launched its Fair Dementia Care campaign which seeks to end the inequalities faced by people living with advanced dementia, their families and carers, in terms of accessing health care and the impact of social care charges.
The condition is caused by progressive and terminal neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, yet people with advanced dementia do not currently have equality of access to free health care that people with other progressive and life limiting illnesses have.
As part of the campaign the short documentary film explores the experiences of three carers and has been produced in partnership with Mr Edwards.
His mother was diagnosed with the condition and in the film he talks candidly about his own experience of becoming a full-time carer.
He said: “I have reported on the work of Alzheimer Scotland over the years so when my mum was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2015, it really hit home.
“This documentary was an important one to produce and I hope that we have done a good job of getting to the heart of the story.
“I’m fortunate that I can look after my mum every day at home, but a lot of people aren’t in the same position and are struggling with the cost of care. I really wanted to help tell their stories in this short documentary.
Henry Simmons, the chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said: “This short documentary demonstrates the harrowing inequality that people with advanced dementia and their carers face.
“It is part of an ongoing campaign to secure cross-party political support in order to bring an end to this injustice. This issue has been hidden within our health and social care system because there is no proper definition of advanced dementia or meaningful recognition of individual changing needs.
"These needs are clearly health care needs and should be free at the point of delivery. They are not. This means that people with advanced dementia continue to pay for all their care.
"This is both unfair and unequal and this film highlights how we need to bring this to an end. We’re asking everyone to watch this short documentary film, join our campaign and help bring an end to this inequality.”
To attend the event either email LDaly@alzscot.org or call 01463 711707.
