Completed petition 45,000 Reasons Wales Needs a Dementia Strategy

​We call on the Welsh Government to commit to a dementia strategy that improves the lives of people living with dementia in Wales.

There are currently 45,000 people estimated to be living with dementia in Wales, less than 50% of whom have received a formal diagnosis. Receiving a diagnosis of dementia empowers people to make decisions about the care and support they receive; it opens the door to accessing services and, where necessary, medication.

However, even those who have received a diagnosis have most likely not received the information and support that they need in order to live well with dementia.  1 in 10 people with dementia in Wales did not receive any support at all in the first year after their diagnosis, leaving them to deal with their diagnosis alone. 

People living with dementia in Wales are less likely to receive a diagnosis, and are less likely to have access to post-diagnosis support than those living in the rest of the UK. This has to change.

We want the Welsh Government to develop a dementia strategy for Wales, one that demonstrates a commitment to improving diagnosis rates, and ensures the access to local services and the quality of care that people living with dementia deserve.