Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement on dementia, Councillor David Rogers, Chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“Each and every part of society has an important role in ensuring people with dementia can live life to the full for as long as possible. Putting the voices of people with dementia and their carers at the very heart of any approach should rightly be the first step in creating dementia-friendly communities.

“Local government can play a vital part in this and town halls are already working with their communities to ensure people with dementia can continue to access local shops, banks and cafes, find their way around their local area without fear and continue to maintain their social lives and play a part in their local community. While there is some great and innovative work going on, we acknowledge there is clearly a lot more to be done.

“People with dementia rightly expect to be treated with respect and the ‘Dignity in Care Commission’, set up in partnership between the LGA, NHS Confederation and Age UK, is a positive move in helping to ensure this happens.

“The LGA has also been working with councils and voluntary organisations, and will soon publish new guidance on developing dementia friendly communities that will help local authorities to share information on what works best and identify ways of increasing the quality of life of people with dementia while reducing factors that can lead to depression, loneliness or anxiety.

“However, we can’t escape the very real crisis this country is facing in providing care for the elderly and vulnerable. We can’t hope to truly do the best for people in later life, including those living with dementia, without fundamental reform of the way we provide care to our rapidly aging population.

“Local government is ready to rise to the challenge and play its part and we now need to see urgent action from across government to show they are are committed to ensuring we can offer care that is fairer, simpler and fit for purpose in order to truly meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society.”