West Midlands councils rally behind Dementia Action Week

News from our partners West Midlands Association of Directors of Adult Social Services

Councils across the West Midlands are working with Alzheimer’s Society to raise awareness about dementia as part of Dementia Action Week (21-27 May 2018). 

The dementia campaign led by Alzheimer’s Society is also being supported by West Midlands Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (WM ADASS), which represents the 14 councils in the region.

One of the key ambitions of the branch is to improve the diagnosis of early onset dementia and the quality of dementia services across health and social care in the West Midlands.

ADASS West Midlands logo

WM ADASS will also be supporting the Alzheimer’s Society report “Dementia – the true cost: Fixing the care crisis” in a bid to lobby government for more funding and influence government policy and society’s attitudes towards dementia.

Martin Samuels, Co-Chair of West Midlands ADASS and Strategic Director for People at Dudley Council said:

“As members of West Midlands ADASS, we know that local government has a vital leadership role in promoting dementia friendly communities.

“Our adult social care teams across the region continue to work with their partners and local communities to ensure those living with dementia, and their family and carers, get the right support.

“However, councils have been under sustained funding constraints for many years and continue to be so. We know this cannot continue, and as a region we remain committed to lobbying government for fairer funding.

“With the number of people living with dementia set to grow, we welcome the Alzheimer’s Society report ahead of the Government’s forthcoming Green Paper on social care reform.”

Andy Begley, Shropshire Council’s director of adult social care and housing, and Co-Chair of West Midlands ADASS, added:- 

“One of our key priorities at West Midlands ADASS is to ensure there is a truly personalised and integrated health and social care service for people with dementia.

“In Shropshire we have developed a joint strategy with our colleagues at Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group which details plans and developments that will help us drive forward the change that is needed to improve the lives of local people living with the condition.”

You can view Shropshire’s Dementia Strategy 2017-2020 here.

For more information about Dementia Action Week visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/dementia-action-week

For more information about WM ADASS visit www.adass.org.uk/community/west-midlands-region or follow us on Twitter @WMADASS.