The Daily Mail today launches a major appeal to fund a pioneering support network for unpaid dementia carers as a damning poll reveals two-thirds feel abandoned.
Dementia Carers Together aims to raise millions of pounds for new nationwide six-week courses for friends and relatives of people living with the disease.
Delivered in partnership with Alzheimer's Society, the sessions will give carers vital support and information about their rights and the services available to them.
They will allow attendees to meet others in a similar situation and help to address the loneliness, exhaustion and overwhelming responsibilities many face following a loved one's diagnosis.
There are currently 2.5 million people in the UK who provide some form of care for people with dementia, and four out of five of them have reached crisis point at least once.
Exclusive new polling for the Daily Mail reveals 66 per cent of people who provide or have provided unpaid care to someone with dementia do not feel well supported in their caring role.
The YouGov survey found most people (72 per cent) would not feel confident knowing where to turn for advice if a friend or relative was diagnosed with dementia, and three-quarters (76 per cent) would not feel prepared to cope with behaviour changes such as anger, distress or confusion.
There is also a worrying lack of understanding about what dementia care the NHS and councils will pay for and what support the carers themselves may be entitled to receive.
Michelle Dyson, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said it is 'deeply concerning' that seven in ten people are not confident they would know where to turn for advice if a loved one was diagnosed with dementia
The appeal is being co-ordinated by Mail Force, a registered charity set up by the Daily Mail's parent company, DMGT.
Mail Force raised over £35million in its previous campaigns to provide laptops for schoolchildren and PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to help Ukrainian refugees.
The new Dementia Carers Together courses will be held across the UK and consist of six weekly sessions lasting two hours each.
They will offer practical help in dealing with loved ones as they deteriorate, ranging from managing danger at home to navigating changes in hygiene and dealing with confusion.
Other sessions will cover unlocking support, including what you are entitled to medically and financially, such as the right to a timely diagnosis, benefits allowances and council tax reductions.
The courses will also focus on emotional resilience. Carers will be taught ways to cope with the toll on their mental health, how to recognise burnout and stress, and when and how to ask for help.
People can attend all six sessions or only those on the topics of most interest to them. Some will be in-person and some held online, to maximise the opportunity for carers to attend.
Ted Verity, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Mail, said: 'It is a privilege to work with Alzheimer's Society on tackling an issue that impacts the day-to-day lives of so many people across the UK.
'Every day, millions of dementia carers put somebody else's needs before their own. They do so with extraordinary love, patience and dedication, often while receiving little support themselves.
'Through Dementia Carers Together, Daily Mail readers have an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of those carers.
'Together, we can create a nationwide support network that offers practical help, trusted advice and the reassurance that nobody has to face dementia alone.'
Michell Dyson, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, added: 'It is deeply concerning that seven in ten people are not confident they would know where to turn for advice if a loved one was diagnosed with dementia.
'Families can face difficult and unfamiliar challenges following a diagnosis, and we must make sure they have the support they need to face them.
'That is why the Dementia Carers Together Appeal is so important.
'Our ambition is to create a national network where carers can get practical advice, understand their rights and connect with people who truly understand what they are going through.
'Carers hold families together through some of the toughest moments dementia can bring.
'Now we need to be there for them.
'We are enormously grateful to the Daily Mail, Mail Force and every reader who supports this appeal and helps us make sure fewer carers have to face dementia alone.'
The survey for the Mail found 72 per cent of the public believe carers get too little recognition, 72 per cent feel they receive too little help for their own physical and mental health needs and 66 per cent say they have too little financial support.
Asked for the three places they would be most likely to turn for help if a loved one was diagnosed with dementia, 56 per cent said their GP, 51 per cent dementia charities and 41 per cent the internet.
The issues they would most want advice on are slowing or managing symptoms (38 per cent), how to keep the patient safe at home (38 per cent) and how to get NHS or council support (32 per cent).
All these topics will be covered in the new Dementia Carers Together courses.
Almost two in three people (64 per cent) were not aware they would be entitled to a carer's assessment, a free check carried out by local councils to establish what emotional, physical or financial help carers themselves may need to support them in their caring responsibilities.
Meanwhile, one in eight (12 per cent) wrongly believe the NHS or government always pays for a dementia patient's care in full and one in five (21 per cent) are not sure.
Tragically, only 62 per cent of people would feel comfortable telling close friends if they were struggling to cope with someone with dementia and only 64 per cent would feel comfortable telling family.
The biggest barriers are not wanting to burden others (43 per cent), feeling guilty about struggling (31 per cent) and not knowing where to turn (30 per cent).
Only 16 per cent say they would not be reluctant to ask for help.
The campaign is aiming to raise a minimum of £1million, which will pay for the courses for a year. If it reaches £2million the courses can run for two years, or for three years if it generates £3million.
Each course will have roughly 30 participants, meaning tens of thousands of people could benefit in the first year alone.
Dementia Carers Together pilot courses will launch in London, Peterborough, Wales and Northern Ireland once the appeal passes £100,000.
The 2027 courses will open for booking from the New Year. Those in Scotland will be delivered via Alzheimer Scotland.
:: YouGov polled 2,328 UK adults online between October 25 and 26.
Dementia Carers TogetherDementia Carers Together is raising money to fund new courses across the UK to give tens of thousands of struggling unpaid dementia carers vital emotional and practical support.
For further information, visit dailymail.com/dementia
How you can donate
Online: Visit mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate
By Text: To donate £10, text CARER to 70115. To donate £20, text LOVE to 70115. To donate £30, text HEART to 70115. Texts will cost your donation amount plus your network charge.
By phone: Call 0300 1234577. Standard charges may apply.
By cheque: Send cheques made payable to Mail Force Charity to:
Dementia Carers Together, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester CO2 8JY
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