Giving a voice to older people living with dementia

The Older People's Commissioner for Wales is working with Age Cymru to give a voice to older people in Wales living with dementia and raise awareness of the challenges they face in their day to day lives. 

Age Cymru will meet and speak with older people living with dementia across Wales, as well as their families and carers, to hear directly from them about their experiences of living with dementia, the impact it has on their lives and the support currently available to help them to live well with dementia. 

In addition to highlighting good practice that is making a positive difference to the lives of older people living with dementia in Wales, the project will also identify areas where improvements can be made so that people with dementia can access the help and support they need. 

Older People's Commissioner for Wales, Sarah Rochira, said:

"While there is much good work underway in Wales to improve the lives of people living with dementia, many older people living with the condition, as well as their families and carers, have told me that our public services do not understand their needs and that help and support that could make a real difference to their lives is often not available. 

"Through this project, I want to give a strong voice to older people living with dementia in Wales and shine a light not only on their experiences and their needs, but also on their hopes and aspirations. This will support our public services and policy makers to take the action needed to meet the needs of older people living with dementia in Wales and make our communities truly dementia supportive.

"I am delighted that Age Cymru will be involved in the delivery of this project. They have a huge amount experience of working with older people across Wales and share my aim to make Wales a good place to grow older for everyone."

"The number of people living with dementia in Wales will reach 45,000 this year, a figure set to increase dramatically in the coming years. It is therefore more important than ever that we get things right for older people living with dementia in Wales and support them to live well within their communities." 

Age Cymru's Chief Executive, Ian Thomas, said:

"Age Cymru is delighted to be working with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales on this research. This is a vitally important opportunity to hear first-hand the views and experiences of people with dementia and their carers.

"Placing the real experiences of older people at the heart of what we do is central to the work of Age Cymru. Given the increasing prevalence of dementia it is especially vital that people experiencing the condition can get their voices heard.

"We will only be able to make Wales a good place to grow older if we understand the experiences, aspirations and challenges of the most vulnerable people in communities across Wales."

Evidence will be gathered from older people living with dementia, their families and carers, between July and September 2015. 

To share your experiences of living with dementia in Wales, or the experiences of a family member or friend, contact Kathy Lye of Age Cymru on 029 2043 1570 or Kathy.lye@agecymru.org.uk.