Once again, Polly Toynbee deploys her deep knowledge of the deficiencies of social services to good effect (People are dying waiting for social care. Wealthy people’s inheritance issues are not a priority, 22 November). Policy reform needs to focus first on the weakness of the care sector, where poor pay, staffing problems and inadequate training lead people of my age – as they observe how friends and neighbours are being treated – to cross their fingers and hope they can at least avoid institutional care.
Second, there is a need to recognise the particular unfairness that arises from the failure to regard dementia as an illness, denying its sufferers a fully funded response from the NHS. Informal and family care can achieve much, but it is dementia that imposes unbearable demands.
