The Alzheimer’s Society says the cost is likely to double to £6.3bn over the next 20 years.

 

A crisis in dementia care has cost businesses in England £3.2bn in the last year, according to a charity.

 

Research by the Alzheimer’s Society looked into people who have had to quit jobs, reduce hours, or change working patterns to care for their loved ones.

 

The charity said the figure was likely to double over the next 20 years to £6.3bn and are now calling on the government to deliver on their promise to end the dementia care crisis.

 

“Up and down the country, families are desperately trying and often failing to get the good quality dementia care their loved ones need,” said Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Jeremy Hughes.

 

“Instead, over 100,000 people have had no choice but to leave their jobs and try to care for their loved ones themselves.

 

“The knock-on cost to businesses is only going to get bigger, with more and more people set to develop dementia and no solution put in place to sort out social care.

“It’s devastating for people with dementia, devastating for their families and carers, a drain on the NHS and now we see how badly it’s affecting our economy.”

 

He called for an overhaul of social care to ensure a minimum standard of care for patients.

 

In Birmingham, the charity Dementia Carers Count helps people to cope as carers.

 

Seven out of 11 people attending a course run by the charity told Sky News their working lives had been ended or disrupted after they had to step in to look after family members.

 

Gainna Lee, from Surrey, gave up work after her mother was diagnosed.

 

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