Thank you, madam Presiding Officer. Wales has an ageing population. This brings a number of benefits and opportunities. Older people are often at the heart of their communities. Whether it is by volunteering for charity and community work, or by providing childcare for their families, older people make an immense contribution. It benefits society therefore to allow older people to live full and inclusive lives.

However, an ageing population also brings a number of challenges. Many are unable to live full lives due to ill health. Forty per cent of people over the age of 65 in Wales say their health is fair or poor. Older people are the main users of primary care services in the NHS, and yet, as Age UK Wales have pointed out, primary care services are not always able to meet older people’s needs. A third of older people who wanted to see their GP in the last 12 months found it difficult to make a convenient appointment for themselves.

Modernising the way surgeries work, such as making greater use of online services, is important. But changes must take into account the needs of older people and ensure that they are not left behind. Healthcare must be tailored to meet the needs of our older population. Dementia has overtaken heart disease as Britain’s biggest killer. One in three people aged over 65 will develop dementia and the main form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. There are at present more than 45,000 people, as Janet mentioned, in Wales living with dementia. What a striking figure. This figure is projected to increase by nearly a third by 2021.

This terrible condition means families watching their loved ones slipping away until they no longer even recognise them. What a dreadful feeling among the family members. Evidence suggests that where people receive an early diagnosis and are helped to access information, support and care, they are often able to adapt well to living with dementia.

We need our GPs to check more closely for signs of dementia, because the earlier it is diagnosed, the easier life can be for those living with the condition. Once dementia has been diagnosed, it is important sufferers receive support to enable them to remain in their own homes as far as possible. The Alzheimer’s Society says that more than one in 10 people living with dementia will be forced to go into care homes early due to lack of support. There has been a lack of progress made in improving dementia care in people’s homes. We need to support the further development of dementia support schemes in the community—an extension of dementia training schemes. It is essential that care workers receive appropriate training in order for quality care to be provided. Quality care delivered to a high standard has a significant impact on quality of life, and these people deserve to be treated with dignity.

I believe that there’s a need for an older people’s rights Bill. Presiding Officer, one area that hasn’t been covered so far is: say two people, a husband and wife, and the husband has dementia, the wife is virtually lost, as the husband is totally responsible for the financial affairs of the family and other affairs—external, outside the home. Especially in certain communities in the country, women virtually don’t deal with those affairs. So, when husbands get this sort of problem—I mean dementia—the women are virtually lost. Nobody is there to help them on financial training, social training and cultural training at all in our health service. That area we need to cover, because that gives a long-term impact, not only on the family but on the children also.

This is important. I’m talking about dementia because there are three Ds that I heard about very recently: one is death, one is divorce and one is dementia. We need to work very strongly—very, very compassionately—to make sure our people do not suffer in this country. There should be, I hope, a cure very shortly in this world so that people can have a healthy life. This is supported by the older people’s commissioner, who called for legislation, and I quote, and this is on dementia:

‘To protect and promote the rights of older people…to enjoy lives that are free of abuse, neglect, ageism and discrimination…to be able to participate fully in their communities’ and thrive in old age. It is completely unacceptable that older people, particularly vulnerable people, should see their rights diminish as they get older. Finally, they deserve dignity and respect, as well as independence and freedom to make decisions about their own lives in Wales. Thank you very much. I support this motion.