This week I met with staff from Marie Curie to learn more about their work and the services they provide in Fife and across the country as well as to promote the ‘Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal 2015’ aimed at raising money to support Marie Curie’s work in Scotland.
I have been aware of the work Marie Curie does supporting people with cancer through nursing services and hospices but I had not realised that work is must wider and also supports people and their families living with terminal illness. The organisation also does a lot of work to support research into cancer but also other areas of terminal illness such as dementia and does a lot of work to influence health policy in Scotland and across the UK.
The charity point out that dementia is an important issue at end of life for a growing number of people in Scotland where in 2013 3,623 people had their death attributed to dementia and a further 1,196 had their deaths attributed to Alzheimer’s.
It is also the case that the number of people in Scotland living with dementia is expected to double between 2011 and 2031 to over 160,000 people. Marie Curie argue that there appears to be a failure to identify dementia as a terminal illness in some quarters and this must be addressed to ensure correct levels of preparation, support and care including end of life care.
People wishing to donate to the charity and get involved with the Great Daffodil Appeal can do so by going to www.mariecurie.org.uk where you can also access more detail about the work of the charity.
Photo shows Alex Rowley with Scottish Policy Officer Susan Lowes
