I raised the issue of the role of family carers as the back bone of care provision in Ireland in the Seanad on Monday, May 10. They certainly deserve more support and more recognition from government. There is now a dedicated focus on dementia care in the programme for governement including pledges to implement the national dementia care strategy and the commitment to increase the number of dementia providers. Access to the right supports can help people to live well in their communities and it is important that people with dementia and their carers gain respite by developing the Alzheimer cafe model. I am in the process of looking at developing one in Kildare unfortunately we don’t have a permanent process yet. There really needs to be more money put into this. The Cafe model is based on an international model and usually opens monthly in the early evening. Some cafes open during the day, and all provide light refreshments and a mix of education and support. The cafes provide an informal way to meet others living with dementia and to meet health and social care professionals.
