RESEC

I'm becoming involved in an organisation called RESEC - an almost acronym for Research into Specialise Elderly Care. RESEC is separate from, but sponsored by a private business, the European Care Group, which provides a range of services in the field of care for the elderly, mentally ill and those with learning and behavioral difficulties. It is intended that at some stage RESEC will become a charity. On Tuesday evening, a few of us met for dinner in Beaumaris, Ynys Mon. Our purpose was to discuss what aspects of elderly care, with an emphasis on people supporting neurological illness could be appropriately tackled at a Conference we are considering arranging early next year.

The more I become involved with care of the elderly, the more I realise that this policy area is one of the most urgent facing any future UK Government. The number of people who will need support is increasing at a frighteningly rapid rate. The issue is not being approached by Government with anything like enough urgency, and nothing like sufficient Government money. The usual phrase for this sort of thing is a 'Demographic Time bomb'. Well, this is a very big bomb indeed, and we're not equipped to deal with it.

The main reason that we were in Beaumaris, is that its close to Bangor, where the University is a leading research base into dementia and specialist elderly care. We hope to work closely with Professor Bob Woods of the University. I've also agreed to take part in two 'think tank' sessions at Green College, Oxford based on what should be the approach to tackling this emerging challenge to Government. Inevitably, the subject will be cropping up from time to time on this blog.