Thousands of people caring for loved ones with dementia are being left to cope alone, a poll has suggested.
The survey for the Royal Voluntary Service found that more than one in three respondents (37%) caring for loved ones with dementia were offered no support following diagnosis and reported feeling helpless, isolated and unable to cope.
For nearly one in three (30%), there was nobody, be it a professional, family member or friend, to turn to for advice or assistance, it added.
The research combined a survey of 1,000 UK unpaid carers of people living with dementia with a separate public opinion poll of 2,000 GB adults.
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The carers surveyed reported feeling heartbroken (40%), helpless (35%), isolated (27%) and unable to cope (26%). For more than one in five (22%) respondents, their situation made them even consider if life is worth living.
On the back of these stark figures, Royal Voluntary Service is now calling for urgent action to plug gaps in service provision to enable more people to live well with dementia nationwide.
More than half (51%) of all caregivers surveyed (growing to 92% of caregivers aged 55+) believed there was not enough support available to carers of loved ones with dementia.
More than a fifth (22%) of carers surveyed said any support that was offered was a long distance away and/or hard to reach. The same number state the journey made it impossible to attend. For nearly half (49%), the signposted support was four or more miles away.
Dr Rachel Fox, national dementia development manager at Royal Voluntary Service, said: “Dementia is a growing challenge, with rates expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. The impacts are far-reaching and with no effective medical treatment yet available, it s becoming increasingly crucial to offer more support to all those affected.
“Worryingly, our study shows too many are subject to receiving whatever is available in their local area or simply have no support at all.
“We need to put an end to this limited and unequal service provision, often situated miles away from home and which is leaving so many people living with dementia and their caregivers without anyone to turn to,” she added.
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