The chief executive of Ripon charity Dementia Forward has warned that a second national lockdown would heighten distress for people with dementia and their families.
Jill Quinn, whose charity provides services across North Yorkshire, acknowledged the government faced difficult decisions about how to respond to rising levels of infections.
But she said the impact of the first lockdown and ongoing restrictions had already had serious implications for dementia sufferers.
Jill Quinn, chief executive of Dementia Forward.
Speaking on World Alzheimer’s Day today, Ms Quinn said:
“Dementia is a progressive illness but the restrictions have caused faster deterioration.
“People are also struggling to get a diagnosis.
“There isn’t a solution – or if there is I can’t see it. We’ve just got to keep going.”
Ms Quinn said Dementia Forward had lost between £50,000 and £100,000 of fundraising this year due to events being cancelled.
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Fundraising accounts for about half of the charity’s income. The other half is derived from providing services for North Yorkshire County Council.
The charity, which had 4,000 families on its books at the time of lockdown, furloughed six of its 29 staff.
It has had to postpone weekly pop-up wellbeing cafes and day services.
This loss of services has had detrimental effects on beneficiaries, many of whom don’t understand the rules on social distancing and hand hygiene.
Ms Quinn said:
“We are receiving more and more calls from people in distress. We just have to keep doing what we can, which is really limited right now.
“But there’s no doubt we are stashing up problems for the future.”
