The SNP recognises the importance of equal access to health and social care services for those living with dementia and is committed to providing fair dementia care for everyone.
The SNP Scottish Government published the Dementia and COVID-19 Action Plan in December 2020, to build on, continue and expand national action since March 2020 on supporting people with dementia and their carers, setting out 21 commitments to assess impact and respond to the needs of this group across all care settings.
The SNP Scottish Government have been taking national action to support better and more consistent quality of care in care homes as part of the 3 National Dementia Strategies.
Throughout the pandemic we have been engaging with people with dementia, their families and carers and a full range of stakeholders, including Alzheimer Scotland on all aspects of fair dementia care.
In January 2021, the SNP Scottish Government laid regulations in Parliament that increase the sums paid for Free Personal and Nursing Care for self-funding care home residents by 7.5 per cent, well above the normal annual increase, in recognition of the increasing cost of providing care, particularly for people with dementia.
The SNP believe social care services, just like health care services, should be provided on a truly universal basis, free at the point of use.
If re-elected, we will abolish charges for non-residential care and we will create a National Care Service backed by increasing investment in social care by 25%.
As part of a rights-based approach to care, we will also strengthen residents’ rights in adult residential settings. This will include delivering ‘Anne’s Law’ – giving nominated relatives or friends the same access rights to care homes as staff while following stringent infection control procedures.
Fiona Hyslop