Archbishops’ inquiry to call for better dementia support in community

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Society must stop treating people with dementia as a burden and provide better care for them in the community, an inquiry into social care commissioned by the archbishops of Canterbury and York will say in the new year.

The church leaders’ Reimagining Care Commission will argue: “We are too quick to dismiss people who have dementia as burdens to be managed, failing to recognise the value and dignity of every human being, of all ages and abilities.”

It came after a Guardian investigation revealed more than half of residential dementia homes reported on by inspectors this year were rated “inadequate” or requiring improvement, leading to warnings of a “national crisis”.

Labour said the investigation revealed an “unforgivable collapse in standard of dementia care”. Ministers promised a 10-year plan for dementia care in 2022 but failed to deliver.

In a move that will increase pressure on the government to deliver comprehensive reforms, the archbishops’ commission is set to call for much greater emphasis on and resources for communities in providing social care, and after visiting Woodside Care Village, a purpose-built and designed care home for people with dementia, it concludes: “When we put the right environment around people living in institutional settings, they can thrive in the community.”

Family members have told of neglect and abuse in care homes which offer dementia support and were rated “good” before the pandemic, but “inadequate” now. Failings uncovered by inspectors this year include people left in bed “for months”, failure to administer pain medicine, violence between residents and malnutrition – including one person who didn’t eat for a month.

Amid predictions that 1.6 million people in the UK will have dementia by the middle of the century, analysis revealed that nearly one in 10 care homes in England that offer dementia support reported on by Care Quality Commission inspectors in 2022 were given the very worst rating – more than three times the ratio in 2019.

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, has previously called for a new “covenant” on social care between the state and the people, similar to the provision of the NHS and education, which makes “absolute value and dignity” the top priority.

Dr Anna Dixon, chair of the archbishops’ commission, said: “Residential care is right for some people with dementia and can provide them with a safe and supportive living environment, especially when the facilities are made as home-like as possible and loved ones are closely involved in care.

“However with the number of people living with dementia increasing, it is vital that our communities are also welcoming and safe, and are given the resources they need to be welcoming and accessible to everyone.”

Meanwhile, Alzheimer’s Society said the decline in standards at many dementia homes since the beginning of the pandemic was “deeply disappointing” and meant “many people with dementia living in residential care are not receiving the high-quality personalised care we know is vital for their health and wellbeing”.

“They all deserve to live in a safe environment, to be treated with compassion and dignity, and to draw on care that lets them live the lives they want to with meaning, purpose and connection,” said James White, the charity’s head of public affairs and campaigns. “Hardworking care staff desperately want the skills, time and support to do their job well, but they’re overstretched and under-resourced. Meanwhile, providers face unsustainable fees and rising running costs, meaning they’re struggling to fund training for staff. The care workforce should be supported, respected and incentivised to stay in the sector, including better pay and opportunities for career progression.”

Liz Kendall, the shadow care minister, said: “Ministers’ neglect of social care and their litany of broken promises, including the failure to publish the long-awaited dementia strategy, is letting down thousands of older people and their families.

“Labour will deliver a 10-year programme of investment and reform to ensure all care providers offer quality care which treats people living with dementia with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Experts estimate about ?7bn more is needed each year to properly fund social care. Labour has not made funding commitments but has said reforms would focus on better pay and career progression for staff; a “home-first” strategy to improve the chances of people staying in their own homes; and greater partnership with families to support unpaid carers.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the government “prioritised social care in the autumn statement, making up to ?7.5bn over the next two years available to support adult social care and discharge – the biggest funding increase in history.”

They said the government is reviewing plans for dementia in England and further information will be available in due course.