‘Burnout risk’ for Alzheimer’s carers
The society said that any further cuts to services in the coming budget will see some of the 44,000 people living with dementia and their 50,000 carers left without even basic support through community services.
The charity worked with health economist Dominic Trepel of University of Limerick who presented a report at its budget submission launch yesterday, outlining the economic case for urgent investment in dementia services in Ireland.
The new report, An economic perspective of dementia care in Ireland, points out the critical need for more community services.
Mr Trepel said the over reliance on carers in Ireland meant burnout represented a significant and immediate threat to healthcare costs.
“For example, should those carers of approximately 30% of people on Alzheimer Society waiting lists reach burnout, the state could potentially be facing at least €12 million in costs for providing additional residential care services in 2011,” he said.
Nearly 70% of carers are providing 14 or more hours of support a day to people with middle to late stages of dementia.
The report also shows that Ireland spends only half of the OECD average on dementia services despite the fact that we face the largest growth of dementia of all European countries.
In the next 16 years alone the amount of people living with dementia will increase from 44,000 today to 70,115 in 2026.
The society maintains for every €18,500 cut from existing HSE funding a total of four people with dementia and their carers will lose their service and one Alzheimer Society of Ireland job will be lost.
It says the total investment required for 2011 is almost €20m.
