Star comment: Dementia is a ticking time bomb
Perhaps we should not be surprised that Dame Barbara Windsor and husband Scott Mitchell have gone public in their fight to help people with dementia.
After all, as one of Britain’s best loved actresses, Dame Barbara has spent a lifetime in the public eye.
There is a subtle difference, however, between what she has done to earn a living and what she is doing now. As the star in Carry On films or the landlady in EastEnders, she was playing a character. This time, she is being herself. Dame Barbara is vulnerable in a way like never before. She cannot hide behind a scriptwriter’s lines or the clever angle of a camera. She is entirely exposed as she fights bravely against a battle that she cannot win.
It is enormously important that we do more to fight dementia as millions suffer. The illness is indiscriminate, striking down those in their prime and causing an enormous burden for loved ones. People who effectively bring an end to what had been a normal life in order to care for wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, know all too well how exhausting the struggle is.
Figures from the Alzheimer’s Society show that the number of people suffering from dementia will increase significantly in future years and if the Government does not prepare both practically and financially then the impact will be huge. There will be the financial cost of providing care but a greater and equally tangible emotional cost.
Indeed, dementia is one of the many illnesses that will afflict our ageing population at an increasing rate in future years. As a nation, we are simply not prepared for the ticking timebomb that is a lack of funding for social care. We face a grave situation if we do not act.
The new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has recently made funding promises for the NHS, though many will note the money he plans to spend does not equate to the £350 million he promised while leading the Vote Leave campaign. Equally, though the money is very welcome it is but a drop in the ocean when one considers the funding shortfall afflicting our beloved NHS.
Healthcare, particularly for the elderly, must change. Once the divisive diversion of Brexit is concluded, we must as a nation take up the challenge of ensuring that our NHS is efficiently run and properly funded.
