Our position on key dementia challenges

What we think about...

Dementia diagnosis  

Getting a diagnosis can enable people living with dementia to plan for the future and gain access to care, symptomatic treatments, information, advice and opportunities to participate in dementia research. 91% of the people Alzheimer’s Society surveyed, in 2022, said they benefitted from getting a dementia diagnosis.

Yet over 300,000 people in England, Scotland and Wales do not have a diagnosis. This leaves them and their families at risk of crisis, such as unplanned hospitalisation, which can have an adverse effect on their health and wellbeing, as well as the wider health and social care system. 

Read more about our work on diagnosis

System preparedness for disease-modifying treatments

Recent research breakthroughs mean there are now disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) that appear to slow the progression of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Three such drugs are currently being assessed by regulators in the UK, and with over 100 Alzheimer’s disease drugs in clinical trials this year, we are likely to see more drugs emerging soon.

Thousands of people in the UK could potentially benefit from these new drugs if they’re approved for use, but the healthcare system is not yet ready to deliver them. This is why Alzheimer’s Society is calling on the NHS in England and Wales and HSC (health and social care) system in Northern Ireland to publish plans on how they intend to deliver new treatments. These plans must include investment in specialist diagnostic tests and the workforce required to ensure everyone with suspected Alzheimer’s disease can access a test that can confirm eligibility for treatment at an early stage in their disease progression.   

Read more about our policy on system preparedness for disease-modifying treatments

Social care 

Getting social care right for people with dementia and those who care for them is vital, yet currently social care systems across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are not delivering for people living with dementia, or their carers.  

Our vision is for people living with dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to be able to easily access affordable, high quality social care that meets their specialist needs, delivered by a well-trained workforce. And for unpaid carers to receive the statutory support to which they are entitled and to be able to take breaks through access to dementia-specific respite care. Through investment and prioritisation in the right areas, we can make significant progress towards achieving this vision. 

Read more about social care

Animal Testing 

Alzheimer’s Society is a member of the Association of Medical Research 
Charities (AMRC) and supports its position statement on the use of 
animals in research. Read our full position.

Assisted dying

The subject of assisted dying triggers strong feelings for many people. While we appreciate that this is a heavily debated subject in our society, this is not an area that our charity works upon actively. Our focus is on giving help to those living with dementia today through our services, and providing hope for the future through our research and our influencing on diagnosis, social care and research policy. We will continue to monitor discussion and debate around the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.  

We believe that people with dementia are entitled to good quality end-of-life care and should receive the treatment and care that best meets their individual needs and wishes. 

People with dementia have the right to refuse treatment at the end of life. Professionals should be open to discussing end-of-life care at any stage of a person’s dementia pathway, including, where relevant, the options of advance care planning and advance decisions to refuse treatment, which are available under the current law. 

More information on the help and support available at the end of life