Members' Business: Charter of Rights for People with Dementia and their Carers 10th Anniversary

That the Parliament notes that October 2019 is the 10th anniversary of the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia and their Carers, which was signed by all political parties in the Parliament; further notes that the Charter introduced a human rights-based approach to health and social care based on the UN PANEL principles; acknowledges that, for the first time in Scotland, the PANEL approach allowed people with dementia and their carers to participate in decisions, have accountability in their care and be empowered to access their rights without stigma; considers that the Charter has ensured that public and private bodies, voluntary organisations and individuals are held responsible for the care and treatment of people with dementia and accountable for the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights; commends the importance of the Charter in underpinning three national dementia strategies and resulting initiatives working to improve people’s lives; applauds the ALLIANCE, Alzheimer Scotland and the University of the West of Scotland for ensuring that the voice of lived experience sets the agenda for the next 10 years; values the efforts made by organisations across Scotland, especially the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, to use the Charter as a tool for empowerment, raising awareness of rights and improving quality of services; congratulates the Scottish Dementia Working Group, National Dementia Carers Action Network and Dementia Carer Voices for their awareness raising campaigns on the need for person-centred care; recognises that, while much progress has been made over the last 10 years, by 2031 it is projected that there will be approximately between 102,000 to 114,000 people with dementia in Scotland, and therefore welcomes discussions to date to make the Parliament more open, inclusive and dementia-friendly, and believes that dementia is one of the key issues now and in the future for people in Glasgow Kelvin and across Scotland.