Press Release, 19th April, 2013

 

MSP BACKS DEMENTIA CARERS PROJECT

 

Duncan McNeil MSP has backed an innovative project which raises awareness of the vital contribution of those who care for people living with dementia.

 

The Dementia Carer Voices project aims to empower carers by raising awareness of dementia and providing a platform from which carers’ views and experiences can inform future policy and service provision.

 

The project from the Health and Social Care Alliance harnesses the work of Tommy Whitelaw, a former carer who has collected hundreds of life stories from people which detail the difficult and different experience of caring for a loved one living with dementia.

 

These life stories demonstrate that carers of people with dementia often feel isolated and that there is insufficient recognition of the range of complex issues about which they are expected to have understanding.

 

It is estimated that there are 1,400 people in Inverclyde who suffer from dementia. 

 

Duncan McNeil said:

“This project gives a platform to the views and experiences of carers of people with dementia across Scotland, which will be extremely useful for the government in helping to shape thinking about services and to highlight the importance of carers”

 

Dementia Carer Voices Project Officer, Tommy Whitelaw, said:

 

“It is imperative that we raise awareness of the impact of dementia on families, and the vital role played by carers, so that nobody else in Scotland has to go through the caring journey experiencing the loneliness and isolation that we did.”

Notes