A WARRINGTON-headquartered social care charity is fighting to secure dementia carers’ rights as the coronavirus pandemic progresses.
Bewsey-based Making Space wants to ensure carers’ voices are heard in a parliamentary review of the Coronavirus Act, to be held this September.
The charity, and its project partner Tide (Together in Dementia Everyday) are concerned that the act, which was rushed through in March, takes away fundamental rights that were promised to carers with the introduction of the Care Act in 2014.
These legal rights include assessing people’s needs and providing personal care at home.
Kathryn Penrith is a consultant Admiral nurse at Making Space. She said: “The Coronavirus Act gives local authorities the right to invoke Care Act easements where this is considered necessary, which may affect services that have previously been on offer.
“This could include personal care and support for people living at home. This can have an enormous impact on people with dementia and their carers.”
Karen Greenhalgh from charity tide is project manager for the Law For Dementia Carers project, a partnership with Making Space that aims to help carers understand their legal rights.
She said: “As the Coronavirus Act is up for review in September, we are working with families to ensure their voices are heard in the review process. Our Law for Dementia Carers project invites carers to fill in our online questionnaire so we can share their experiences.”
Click here to complete the questionnaire. The closing date is Wednesday August 5.
