THE Older People’s Commissioner for Wales has welcomed the health minister’s announcement last week of a funding boost to dementia care in Wales.

Last Thursday, April 2, Health and Social Services minister Mark Drakeford unveiled a plan to recruit new primary care support workers to help people diagnosed with dementia.

Mr Drakeford promised £1million of funding would be made available to make Wales a more “dementia-friendly nation” by improveing dementia diagnosis rates and provideing care staff with extra training.

The announcement was made as part of a new Welsh Government drive to tackle the condition. Mr Drakeford said he wants health boards in Wales to work towards a 50 per cent diagnosis rate by 2016.

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Sarah Rochira, said she “strongly welcomes” the announcement.

She said: “This is something that I called for in my statutory Care Home Review and I am pleased that tangible action, led by the minister, will be taken to deliver the changes and improvements required.

“With the number of people in Wales living with dementia set to grow by around a quarter during the next five years, it is more important than ever that older people are diagnosed quickly and can easily access the information, advice and support they need.”

There are currently 45,000 people living with dementia in Wales but Sue Phelps, director of Alzheimer’s Society in Wales, said: “Behind this statistic there are real people, many of whom are struggling to cope.

“The plan outlined by the minister is an important stepping stone to transforming people’s lives. Every person with dementia should have access to the certainty of a diagnosis and the right support to come to terms, and live well, with the condition.”