Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench). It was answered on Wednesday, 2 December 2009.

Dementia

Question: I thank the Minister most warmly for her very positive reply. Would she accept that the vast majority of the 700,000 people suffering from dementia are cared for at home and that therefore carers at home should be treated as genuine care partners, together with the professional team? They should be trusted and given access to information. What would her Government do to promote that?

Answer: That was, I thought, one of the most powerful points made in the Nuffield report. In the consultation that Nuffield carried out, many carers expressed concern that they were treated with suspicion by professionals and felt that they needed to earn trust, despite the fact that they were providing most of the daily care. We totally agree that carers should be treated as care partners by professionals. The national dementia strategy makes it clear that family carers are the most important resource available to people with dementia and need to be supported and fully involved by the professions in the care that they provide.

Secondary information