Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies recently attended the launch of a new report by Alzheimer’s Society, The hidden cost of dementia in Wales to show his commitment to improving care and support for people living with dementia and their carers. Mr Davies joined Sue Phelps, Director of Alzheimer’s Society in Wales at the National Assembly for Wales to mark the report’s release, which is the first of its kind to provide a financial breakdown of the cost of dementia to society in Wales.

Mr Davies said, ‘I was pleased to come along to the Alzheimer’s Society event and hear more about the hidden costs of dementia. Sadly, the costs facing families in Pembrokeshire and across the whole of Wales is substantial and with a growing number of people living with dementia, it's becoming more and more important that we find a way of working together to meet the challenges dementia presents.”

He added, “I also recently took part in a Welsh Conservatives’ debate on dementia care, where I highlighted that there’s no one-size fits all approach to tackling dementia as people are affected in different ways. We also have to take into account the increased social isolation of those living with dementia in rural areas and work to make our communities as dementia-friendly as possible.”

The hidden cost of dementia in Wales report reveals that in 2013 the total cost of dementia in Wales was £1.4 billion, an average cost of £31,300 per person per year. The report also found that people with dementia, carers and their families currently shoulder around two-thirds of the cost themselves and that this amounts to £298 million for private care social care, and equivalent to £622 million in providing unpaid care to people with dementia.

Sue Phelps, Director of Alzheimer’s Society in Wales said; ‘There are 45,000 people living with dementia in Wales and dementia is a challenge that cannot be overlooked. Costs of dementia will continue to rise unless we have a system that better supports both people with dementia and their carers. We are delighted that Paul has shown their commitment today towards supporting people in Pembrokeshire and across Wales with dementia.’

She added, ‘We need continued commitment and investment to ensure that we deliver the improvements in care and research that people with dementia and their loved ones deserve. It is important that we do not lose the momentum that has built up over the previous years. This report highlights the need for an appropriately resourced national dementia strategy that prioritises person-centred, integrated care. I hope that we can call upon the support of Paul in our bid for this to become a reality in the next Assembly term.’