Biggest NI party and David Blunkett back dementia campaign

The Democratic Unionist Party has become the first of the Westminster political parties to support to Community Care’s Dementia Declaration campaign.

Also lending support is former home secretary David Blunkett.

Jim Wells, DUP health spokesperson and Westminster candidate for South Down, said: “My party colleagues and I give our full support to the Community Care dementia campaign.”

The DUP is the biggest party in Northern Ireland and currently holds eight seats in the House of Commons, while its leader, Peter Robinson, is the first minister in the NI Assembly..

Wells added: “The DUP is launching a new policy document entitled Valuing Our Older Generation in which we will be calling for a comprehensive well-resourced strategy for dementia sufferers.”

The Dementia Declaration campaign aims to ensure a full debate about the future of dementia care as part of the general election and to ensure it is an explicit priority when allocating resources.

Other signatories to the declaration include Carers UK, the United Kingdom Homecare Association and the British Association of Social Workers.

Many carers and those who work with dementia sufferers have also signed up to the campaign and are sharing insightful and moving stories of their experiences in the process.

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