Alzheimer Society calls for €105m investment

SEAN Lyons counts himself lucky that his wife, Beda, who suffers from dementia, can continue to live at home with him.

Beda, 79, a mother of five grown-up children, began showing signs of dementia nine years ago and was diagnosed with the disease two years later.

Currently, 38,000 people in Ireland suffer from dementia and every day 11 new cases are diagnosed.

Sean, 77, a retired businessman, with support from family members, has been able to look after his wife in their home in Ballyclough, Co Limerick, because there are good community-based services in their area.

“I am lucky because my wife goes to a day-care centre in Limerick during the week. The people who look after her are wonderful. She is terribly happy there and it means she can continue to stay at home with me,” he said.

Respite care is also provided for two weeks every three months, so that Sean can have a complete break from caring from his wife.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland believes luck should have nothing to do with having the kind of community services that families like Sean’s need.

It wants the State to invest €105 million over the next three years to address service and policy issues related to dementia.

It is reckoned that, by the year 2026, there will be 71,000 people with dementia and more than 103,000 by 2036 among Ireland’s ageing population.

Society chief executive, Maurice O’Connell, said, “We are looking for increased funding in three key areas over the next three years; €63 million for enhanced and flexible community based services; €12m for early diagnosis, intervention, awareness and education and €30m for social and medical research,” he said.

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s national helpline is open weekdays from 10am to 4pm at 1800 341341.

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe conditions that cause brain cells to die, causing a progressive deterioration in memory and the ability to carry out everyday activities.