Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:24 pm on 12 February 2020.
I thank Mohammad Asghar for that question, and I think he makes a very important point—how important it is for people with dementia to live as near to their homes as possible and to have the opportunity of benefiting from the arts. He'll be aware of the dementia action plan for Wales from 2018 to 2022, which sets out our vision for Wales to be a dementia-friendly nation and that absolutely recognises the rights of people with dementia to live as independently as possible. Through the implementation of the plan, we're trying to develop community approaches that will provide more opportunities for people who are affected by dementia to be involved in activities, including participation in culture and the arts. I always remember, when I think about the area of dementia and the arts, the fantastic work of the Forget-me-Not choirs, which the Member may have attended, where somebody with dementia and their carer both take part in singing, and the words all come back of the old songs to the person suffering with dementia who may not be able to communicate in any other way. So, I think there is huge power in the arts to help people with dementia.