Press release
Minister for Mental Health and Older People marks World Alzheimer's Day 2022
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Today the Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, marks World Alzheimer’s Day 2022.
World Alzheimer’s Day, and World Alzheimer Month of September, provides us with an opportunity to raise awareness on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and focus on how we can best support people with dementia and their families in our communities.
Minister Butler commented that:
"We have made significant achievements over the past 2 years in dementia-specific diagnostic and post-diagnostic supports. This year we have also seen the proportion of new home support hours ringfenced for people with dementia more than double, from 5% in 2021 to 11% in 2022. Taken together, this represents €15 million of investment dedicated to dementia-specific supports and services in 2022, on top of the €12.9 million of additional funding in 2021."
Recent increased investments in dementia-specific supports and services are working towards early detection of dementia, timely intervention and access to care, and communication of key public health messages around dementia and brain health. Timely diagnosis will be key in the treatment of dementia with advances in disease-modifying therapies and brain health interventions key tools to slow progression of the illness and maintain a person’s quality of life.
Minister Butler continued:
"I have long been an advocate for the development of dementia services and supports. I am particularly pleased to note that there are now 23 Memory Technology Resource Rooms and 31 dementia-specific day care centres open. We have also funded the expansion of the dementia advisor network operated by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and there are now have 29 advisors providing support to people across the country."
Ahead of the announcement of Budget 2023 next week, Minister Butler commented that:
"Since being appointed Minister with responsibility for this area there has been an unprecedented level of investment ringfenced specifically for dementia services and supports in this country. I commit to continuing to work to deliver more significant progress on dementia supports in Ireland. In particular, I want to examine a range of long-term residential care models for people with dementia, including the provision of dementia-specific Nursing Homes similar to the model in Bruff, Co. Limerick which is leading the way in dementia-specific care."
Minister Butler concluded:
"Early next year, the National Dementia Office will publish a Model of Care for Dementia which outlines care pathways for people living with dementia from identification of symptoms through assessment, diagnosis, disclosure, care planning and post-diagnostic support. I encourage anyone impacted by Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia to seek out the broad range of services and supports available to people in communities across the country."
The Alzheimer Society of Ireland may be reached on their Freephone Confidential National Helpline at 1800 341 341 / helpline@alzheimer.ie
The National Dementia Office’s website includes a range of resources intended for use by professionals, family members and people living with dementia.