 yn cydwyddiadodd yn ei gwaith o'r ystod i gyda i gaelor i dimiphteidau i Dimensha, ac ei gaelor i dimiphteidau i Gymdeithaid, yn gyfair i ddifu eich gwrthog. A fyddai'n bryd i gaelor i dimiphteidau i Gaelor i Dimensha aeth rheswm, ond gynnwys i chi'r cwmpdiadau i Dimensha i dimiphteidau i Gaelor, a'u ddim ni'n dangos i gyda i ddifu eich gyfair i Dimensha i Dimensha i Gaelor i Dimensha i I would like to thank all the members from across the chamber who have signed the motion and given support to this important issue. The starting point is to understand the issue that we are dealing with. We have a growing elderly population in Scotland. One of the things that comes from that is that, unfortunately, we are seeing a growing number of people who suffer from dementia. Clearly, that is a very difficult condition for those who do suffer from dementia. It is also difficult for their families and their carers. They suddenly, in the latter stages of their life, enter a very vulnerable position and it becomes difficult for them to understand and difficult for those around them to give them proper support. In Glasgow alone, more than 8,000 people suffer from dementia and that shows them the size and the scale of the problem. From that point of view, it is very important to reinforce the importance of rights for people with dementia and for their carers. In this debate, I want to pull together several strands that reinforce the importance of a charter of rights for people with dementia and carers. As a starting position, it is important to go back to saying that there was a motion adopted in the Parliament in 2009 that was really put together by the cross-party group on Alzheimer's. I want to pay tribute to the work that former MSP Irene Oldfather did in that group and on that motion, particularly on the issue of the charter of rights. I know that Irene Oldfather is in the gallery this evening and continues to champion the issue as a director of alliance. That was the forerunner for flagging up the very important issue and starting to train a lot of very important work. I think that nothing more personifies the campaign around the issue than the work of Tommy Whitelaw, who has done a lot of work with alliance and has been at the forefront of the carers voice project as part of alliance. Tommy's mother was diagnosed with dementia and he cared for her for five years until she sadly passed away in 2012. It is a mark of the person that Tommy Whitelaw was that, even after his mother's passing, he embarked on a very intensive campaign to make people aware of the issue. Many of the parliamentarians have come across him, not just here in the Parliament but on various tours throughout the country. He had 85 conversations with health professionals. He enlisted 14,000 pledges from people and he has been to 600 locations. It is important not just to pay tribute to that work but to look at some of the key findings of the work. What he found in speaking to people with dementia and their carers was that one of the difficulties that they struggled with was just the loneliness as he tried to face up to the condition that he faced. He had a real difficulty with feeling that they were being on their own and not properly supported. There is also a frustration around that. It is frustrating enough having an illness but I think that, particularly with the illness of dementia, there is a real frustration as he tried to come to terms with what was happening in his life. Also, there are serious economic challenges as people are needed to be supported. The reality is that care throughout the country is not always consistent and is not always to the quality that we would like. He is by some of the findings that Tommy Whitelaw found in his work. I also want to pay tribute to the work that Age Scotland has done. One of the things that they have done is to work very closely with the STUC in order to focus on the rights of people at work who have started to suffer from dementia. It is important to realise that dementia is something that people can start to suffer at a younger age when they are still working or even as we have an elderly working population. It is important that people should be able to try to keep as much normality in their life as possible and be able to continue to work. The work that Age Scotland and the STUC have done has reinforced that. The importance of a rights-based approach is absolutely crucial because it gives people with dementia a voice. It helps them to make a difference and it looks to maintain and help and build on and improve their quality of life. I know that, in looking at all those strands today, the Scottish Government has worked constructively with the different organisations. Today, it has published a new dementia strategy. That is a very welcome contribution. There are three points to the strategy. One is supporting timely person-centred care. Secondly, it is making progress on the provision of support. Thirdly, it is responding to the fact that there is an increasing number of older people with dementia. The strategy is very much welcome. There has been a lot of progress made since the original motion that I mentioned earlier was lodged in 2009, but I think that there is much more that can be done to support people with dementia and their carers. I think that a rights-based approach would help vitally in that area. I hope that people are able to make contributions from across the chamber, which will not only inform the Scottish Government's work going forward but will actually make a difference, not just to on-going budgets and strategy, but to make a difference to people out in the country who are having to deal with the consequences of dementia. Thank you very much, Mr Kerli. Open debate, speeches of four minutes please. I call Claire Hockey to be followed by Jackie Baillie. I would like to refer members to my register of interest, in particular to the fact that I am a registered mental health nurse still in clinical practice, and I would like to thank James Kerli for bringing this motion forward for debate in Parliament. I doubt that there is a family in Scotland who has not experienced the loss of a loved one through dementia, and I mean loss in all meanings of the word. As many of us know, dementia takes our loved ones away from us little by little, day by day. Currently, it is estimated that there are 855,000 people living in the UK with dementia, a figure expected to rise to a million by 2021. But dementia is not a disease in itself. Dementia is a word used to describe a group of symptoms that occur when brain cells stop working properly. That happens inside specific areas of the brain that affect how you think, how you remember and how you communicate. Over time, it affects a person's ability to make judgments and to act in their own interests, and the condition severely compromises their ability to protect their own rights. That is why the rights-based approach that is taken by the Charter of Rights and subsequent policy work that places individual rights at the core of a person-centred approach is so important. We should remember that people with dementia are individuals first and foremost and that their care should take into account their own unique personal circumstances, their needs and their wishes, as well as the needs of their family and carers. The Charter has taken the United Nations endorsed panel approach, which focuses on the rights of everyone to P for participate in decisions that affect their human rights, A for the accountability of those responsible for the respect, protection and fulfilment of those human rights, N for non-discrimination and equality, E for empowerment to know their rights and how to claim them, and L legality in all decisions through an explicit link with human rights, legal standards in all processes and outcome measures. It is good to hear from respect to charities such as Age Scotland that progress has been made in recent years in promoting a rights-based approach, but I am sure that across the chamber we can all agree that there is still work to be done. Presiding Officer, many years ago, when I was a young staff nurse, I saw first hand the effects of dementia on people when working in hospitals and in nursing homes, both here and overseas. Most of those I nursed would be considered at the time, elderly, in their 80s and their 90s, but dementia is not just a condition that affects older adults. It also affects those in their 60s, 50s and even 40s. By 2031, it is projected that the number of 50-year-olds will have increased by 28 per cent, so juggling a career and a diagnosis of dementia will become a real issue for many people, families and employers. We are also seeing more relatively younger people with the condition that they need to be prepared to accommodate their particular needs. With the number of people still working when they receive their diagnosis, reasonable adjustments need to be made by workplaces to support a person with dementia to allow them to continue to work for as long as they want to continue to work. As James Kelly did in his speech, I welcome age concerns work with the STUC to highlight the difficulties that many people experience with their employers following diagnosis. Dementia fits the criteria of disability under the Equalities Act 2010, and as a consequence, employers are legally obliged to make reasonable adjustments to support someone with dementia to work should they wish to do so. Employers need to be more aware of the charter of rights for people with dementia. Dementia Friends is an Alzheimer's Scotland initiative that is aimed at not only raising awareness about dementia but also at reducing stigma around the illness. My staff and I have registered with the initiative and I would encourage other MSPs and other employers to do so as a first step in being more understanding about dementia as well as how we can make our communities more dementia friendly. Presiding Officer, when we value and embed the experience of those with dementia and their carers as has been done with the Scottish Dementia working group and the national dementia carers action network, we can ensure that the voices of people with dementia are heard and that their rights and concerns are heeded. I welcome the launch today of the third dementia strategy, which will respond to the increasing proportion of older people with dementia, will continue to deliver person centre treatment and support those with a dementia diagnosis. Is this focus on improving standards by listening to those with dementia, putting them at the centre of their care and working in collaboration with their carers and third sector organisations that will help us to improve the quality of life for those with dementia? I start with an apology as I will need to leave the chamber before the conclusion of the debate. It is fitting that we are debating the charter of rights for people with dementia and their carers on the day that the Scottish Government has launched its third dementia strategy. Politics is, of course, all about timing, so let me join with others in thanking James Kelly for his foresight in picking this motion for members' business on this day. Let me go back at least four to five years when I first met Tommy Whitelaw. Tommy cared for his mum Joan, as we have heard, who had vascular dementia until she passed away in 2012. Although his story is a moving one, it is what Tommy did next that was so inspiring. I have to confess, I thought that he was cool anyway because he was a tour manager and had been a band assistant, but what he did next was even cooler because he used his knowledge, his understanding and his experience to help others. He kept a block and to connect with other dementia carers started collecting letters. Those were their stories—the carers' stories of isolation and loneliness, stories of lack of support and information, but also stories of hope and love. So began the Tommy-on-tour campaign as he crossed Scotland collecting letters demonstrating people's lived experience to the present Government. How powerful that was, and it led to action, action in the form of the dementia carers voices project, run by the health and social care alliance with government funding, which indeed is always welcome. The project is all about people. It builds on Tommy's tour and captures the experience of carers across Scotland to shape future policy and provision. It is about raising awareness with health and social care professionals and anyone at all who is on Twitter. Can I recommend that you follow Tommy? If you do, you will know that there is nowhere that he has not been—hospitals, care homes, universities, colleges—all over the place. Aside from being one of the most prolific tweeters that I know, it is the comments from health and social care professionals that are truly impressive. After a talk with Tommy, they understand the challenges that are faced by carers and just how important a person-centred approach really is. The recognition that carers are the experts. Who else knows better, if we are honest about it? Carers bring huge values to society. They also provide care for their loved ones with dementia. As James Kelly said, 80,000 people spoken to, resulting in 14,000 pledges across the UK. That is an awful lot of talking. Tommy has of course been aided by many people, and I want to mention just one or two. Firstly, Irene Oldfather, a former member of the Scottish Parliament, now a director of the alliance. For those who do not know, it was Irene that set up the cross-party group on Alzheimer's and dementia. She championed the charter of rights for people with dementia and their carers, and she did not do it alone. I see two other colleagues sitting in the church. There is something that former MSPs can do that is really useful, because we have Mary Scanlon, also a former MSP, a member of the same cross-party group. Mary was recently awarded a CBE in the Queen's birthday honours, and very much deserved it was. Then my former colleague Richard Baker. When he is working at Age Scotland now, but having a keen interest in this all the way along, you will forgive me, Richard. With such formidable women, I have to say no wonder the charter was agreed, because it is about driving culture change. It is about empowering people with dementia. It is about empowering their carers. Taking a rights-based approach is absolutely essential, but there is much more that we still need to do to raise awareness, to increase visibility and to ensure that people can access their rights. Finally, a very small plug. There is a dementia carers voices event in committee room 2 at 2pm tomorrow. Come along, join us if you want to hear from Tommy, Irene and others, because, frankly, it is so much better than listening to us. I certainly wouldn't say that of your speeches, Ms Bailey. I call Miles Briggs. We are followed by Colin Smyth. Mr Briggs, please. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I would like to congratulate James Kelly on securing today's debate and also thank those organisations that have contributed useful briefings for today's evening's debate, including Age Scotland, Alzheimer's Scotland, the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland and dementia carers voices. It was particularly important to see them in the garden lobby this week. I know that many members had a great time chatting to them over some of the personal stories that Jackie Baillie pointed towards. I am pleased that James Kelly's motion has also attracted broad cross-party support, as it is right that all of us in this chamber speak up and promote the rights of people with dementia and those who look after them. The charter of rights for people with dementia and carers was a very positive initiative. I pay tribute to all who have helped to produce this, including colleagues on the Parliament's cross-party group on dementia who led with this development. I am particularly pleased to see the three former MSP colleagues here this evening, Irene Oldfather, Mary Scanlon and Richard Baker. Some might say that having left Parliament, they have now entered politics, but I will not go far further. The motion highlights the Alliance's dementia carer voices project. I commend this as an important platform for the voices of the health and social care staff working with people with dementia and their families. As has rightly been said, Tommy Whitelaw is to be congratulated for his efforts and for his passion in campaigning to ensure that no family in Scotland with a family member with dementia goes through the caring journey experiencing loneliness or isolation. As James Kelly has set out today, there is much work to be done to increase people's awareness and understanding of the rights of dementia sufferers and their families and carers. Integrated joint boards need to take a lead and ensure that all staff working with people with dementia are aware of the charter of rights and the imperative of a person that their care is centre-based and rights-based. As has already been mentioned in this debate, the increase in the number of people under 65 with dementia in this country is a real issue of concern. Figures indicate that the number of people under 65 in Scotland being treated for dementia has risen by a third in the past six years alone. In 2015-16, 808 people were diagnosed between the age of 15 and 64 were recorded as having the condition. That is one of the many reasons behind my support for Frank's law, and I am pleased to announce that I will be lodging my member's bill proposal on this later this week and looking for support from all parties in order to take this forward. Age Scotland is entirely right to highlight in its briefing for today's debate that dementia is increasingly an issue for the workplace and not just amongst older and retired people. The Scottish Government's 2013 commitment to ensure that all who are diagnosed with dementia receive support from a linked worker for one year after their diagnosis was widely welcomed. However, the delivery of this commitment has been patchy across the country, with many still failing to receive it, and with the number of people being diagnosed with dementia expected to go on rising in the years ahead. The staffing and resourcing of the pledge and dementia care across our NHS is a significant challenge that we all need to be planning for now. I again welcome today's debate and the cross-party support that exists for promoting the rights of dementia sufferers and their families and carers. I welcome the publication of the Scottish Government's third dementia strategy and the recognition of the critical importance of working with and listening to those with dementia and those who care for them. I begin by thanking my colleague James Kelly for tailing his excellent motion, which gives members the opportunity to highlight the importance of a rights-based person-centred approach to the care of the growing number of people living with dementia and their families and carers. Today, in Scotland, 90,000 people are living with dementia, but it is estimated that, by 2020, there will be 20,000 new diagnoses each year. It is a condition that often leaves a person who has been diagnosed and their family and carers feeling increasingly powerless as if they are losing control of their own lives. That is why our rights-based approach must be at the centre of dementia policy so that we can give that control back, give those living with dementia and their families and carers the ultimate saying that they care they receive and ensure that care is of the highest standard possible. The charter of rights for people with dementia and their carers in Scotland has been fundamental in shaping the development of dementia policy and practice since its publication in 2009. It has underpinned key dementia policy development since its agreement, so, like James Kelly, I like to pay tribute to the work of Irene Oldfather and the former cross-party group on Alzheimer's, now the CPG on dementia, which I am proud to be vice-convener of, in implementing that charter. James Kelly and others have also rightly focused on the excellent work of the Alliances Dementia carers voice project and Jackie Baillie, in particular, on the amazing experiences of Tommy and Joan Whitelaw. I would like to focus my brief comments on the next step, the long-awaited third dementia strategy, which was published today. That strategy will shape policy until 2020. The vision of the strategy is of a Scotland where people with dementia and those who care for them have access to timely, skilled and well-coordinated support from diagnosis to end-of-life, which helps to achieve the outcomes that matter to them. It is a vision that I know that everyone in the chamber will share, but we need to turn that vision into a reality. As Alzheimer Scotland said in one of the forwards to the new strategy, the gap between the policy commitments found in all three strategies and the real-life experiences of many people is far too wide. Older and wiser was published in 2008. Remember, I am still me, was published in 2010. Dignity and respect published in 2014. Although there has been significant progress, we cannot be sitting here at the end of 2020 repeating those words from Alzheimer Scotland, because another policy initiative has not yet been fully implemented. People with dementia simply do not have that time. There is much within the strategy that the Labour very much agrees with, from the missing persons initiative to the commitment to improve palliative and end-of-life care. However, we believe that those positive words must be backed up by adequate Government resources. That means scrapping the cuts to local councils, which have impacted severely on social care, so that a social care staff have the time to provide the compassionate care needed ending the scandal of 15-minute care visits. The implementation of the new strategy must also be properly monitored, although there will be a working group to help to do that. I hope that the minister will ensure that there will be regular reports back to Parliament on progress with the strategy. As the strategy is implemented, it is also crucial that policies are constantly reviewed. There is no doubt that the commitment to one-year post-diagnosis support for people with dementia was very laudable, but it did lack flexibility and the figures speak for themselves with only two out of five people benefiting within the Government's own target. A key role of the working group and parliamentary scrutiny of the new strategy must be to detect any problems with commitments at an early stage, not wait for three years. Disapointingly, in the 26 pages of the new strategy, there is no reference to care charges. It is 14 years since the last Labour-led Government introduced free personal and nursing care to everyone over the age of 65. However, it is now time to take that policy to the next step. To use the words of the Frank's law campaign website, no disability, illness, condition or disease waits until a person reaches the age of 65, then strikes. Of the 90,000 people living in Scotland with dementia, 3,000 are under the age of 65. Those 3,000 people face the prospect of having to pay for their own care. The publication of the strategy is a positive move forward. I know that there has been much progress made, but there is an awful lot more still to do. I welcome the guest to the gallery, which I will mention shortly. I congratulate James Kelly for securing the debate and the charter of rights for people with dementia and carers. James Kelly's motion says that it believes that dementia is everyone's business, and it certainly is. I thank James Kelly for securing the debate. I also welcome the publication of the national dementia strategy for Scotland, which was published today. I really look forward to working with many groups and the cross-party groups in this Parliament, which many members in the gallery have been members of. I also have my own cross-party group on older people, which has a particular interest in the subject of dementia. Like others, I would like to thank Irene Oldfather and Tommy Whitelaw for the fantastic work that they have carried out not only, but for what they have achieved. That is an important issue. We must mention what they have achieved with their work. I welcome Mary Scanlon, who is a member of the cross-party group in Richard Baker, who has been leading on that as well. I thank them very much for the work that they have achieved. One of the aims that the cross-party groups have put forward and that they have achieved is to push dementia completely up to the very top of the political ladder. That is no mean feat to do, but they have certainly pushed it up on that particular ladder. It has made it much more informative, and professionals have become much more aware of the condition of dementia, such as doctors and others. Clare Hawke had mentioned employers, and that is a huge issue in regard to looking at dementia and recognising it and putting forward training for the members of staff. That is something that people have already mentioned in the groups that they have pushed for. That is something that they must be really proud of. It is about what they have achieved in regards to that. I know from working with my old father and Tommy Whitelaw as well. A lot of what they pushed forward was from a personal point of view. That says something about the integrity and what they also went through when they were pushing for dementia to be top of the actual ladder. Once again, I thank them very much for that. From my own experience, my mother had dementia, and I know that it is very difficult. Sometimes you really did not know what to expect. Apart from achieving the fact that professionals now know employers too, lots of families did not know what to expect from dementia and were left to sink or swim without the information. However, the people that I have mentioned before and the organisations gave us information that we knew not so much what to expect, but we knew what was going on. Some families are still who are not quite there. I thank them for that as well. I am also very proud of my own city. Obviously, I represent Glasgow-Kelvin, the city of Glasgow, which aims to become a dementia-friendly city. It encourages and develops resilience within communities, recognising the impact and effect that dementia has—not just a day or a launch, but throughout their whole lives within communities, not just the people who suffer from dementia, but their families. It enables people with dementia to enjoy the best quality of life within their communities and ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect. That is something that came out of the work that has been done by the many groups and Tommy's work as well. I am glad to speak in today's debate, particularly as the Scottish Government's third national dementia strategy has been published today. I thank Alzheimer Scotland and Alliance's dementia carer voices project for helping to support the production of the charter alongside all the important work that they do to support local communities in Scotland and those that are affected by dementia in any form. I recognise the work of Alzheimer Scotland in providing community support in my constituency of the north-east, where there are dementia resource centres, dementia cafes and musical memory groups. They are continuing to drive change and empowering people with dementia. I think that it is clear to say that there is an increasing understanding and awareness of the support that those diagnosed with dementia require. The charter of rights for people with dementia and their carers in Scotland has influenced the policy and practice that we have seen implemented in the past six years, but there is still a lot that we can learn from it. There are an estimated 90,000 people suffering from dementia in Scotland, yet only two in five are eligible for post-diagnostic support that was received in 2014-2015. That leads to the question, although the Scottish Government can boast impressive diagnosis rates, why are post-diagnostic care wait lists so long? Although the new strategy continues to pledge a minimum of one-year post-diagnostic support, there is no indication as to how they plan to improve these waiting times. Henry Simmons, the chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, has commented on the inconsistency and the gap between policy and practice being far too wide. That shows that more needs to be done to ensure that strategies are carried out fully and ensure that the appropriate support and care is a reality for those living with dementia. As we know, dementia does not discriminate. It can strike at any age, and around 3,200 of those currently diagnosed with dementia are under the age of 65. At present, anyone under the age of 65 who requires personal care for their dementia or any other degenerative brain disease must fund the cost of care themselves. With the charter based on real-life experiences, I feel it appropriate to mention Amanda Coppell, who lost her husband, Frank Coppell, to dementia in April 2014. In addition to caring for her husband and losing him to this disease, Ms Coppell had to face the discriminatory policy that saw her husband ineligible for financial help with care. Frank's condition deteriorated, and his need for personal care was evident, and Amanda had paid nearly £300 every week for the support that he needed. He was due to reach the qualifying age for free care just a few weeks after his death. That has led to Amanda's campaign through the Scottish Government called Frank's Law. Frank's Law is calling for a fairer charging system that provides free personal care for anyone who is suffering from a degenerative brain disease and not just those over the age of 65. The seventh point of the charter is based on non-discrimination and equality. Stating people with dementia and their carers have the right to be free from discrimination based on any grounds such as age, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, social or other status. Amanda's story shows that this is currently happening. We must look at the impact dementia has on not only those who are suffering from with this condition, but for the carers too. Family members are often the chosen carers for those who are suffering with dementia, and when this happens at an early age, not only has the person suffering with dementia had to leave their job, but the carer will as well. This leads to the loss of two incomes with neither at pension age. The Scottish Government's national dementia strategy for 2017-2020 follows the two previous strategies, mentioning no further plans of providing personal care for those under 65. The new strategy outlines the first main challenge that must be addressed, which is offering timely person-centred, co-ordinated and flexible support that should be consistently available to every person living with dementia and their carers. Surely that should mean that those under 65 suffering from dementia should be entitled to the same rights of free personal care. With around 7,780 people suffering with dementia in my constituency— You asked you to conclude, Mr Chapman. I fully support the charter of rights for people with dementia and carers. It is safe to say that every community in Scotland is affected by dementia, and I agree with the charter that dementia is everyone's business, and more must be done to provide consistent, post-diagnostic support for all ages. I thank James Kelly for bringing this debate to Parliament today and for his welcome as others have done of the new strategy. I also recognise Irene Old Father in the gallery when Irene was an MSP, we would share stories about how our mother's dementia was progressing. In the contributions today, we have heard the powerful stories on how dementia touches the lives of so many families across the country, as I said, including my own. Clare Hockey talked about the loss prior to death that we experienced, and I am sure that that resonates with all. It is absolutely clear from all the contributions today how a rights-braised approach can make a fundamental difference to people living with dementia and their carers. In preparation for the debate, I read the debate that Irene Old Father introduced in 2009, and I recognise another contributor in that debate this evening, Mary Scanlon, whose contribution in that debate. I also read, and I am sure that both of them, as others have recognised in the chamber tonight, about what a long way we have come since 2009 in improving the care and support of people with dementia. That includes the introduction of Scotland's world-leading post-diagnostic support for everyone who is newly diagnosed with dementia, improving the skills and capacity of staff, working cross-health and social care services through our promoting excellence framework and embracing the principle of personalised dementia care in acute and specialist NHS dementia care settings, and extending carers' rights and support through the Carers Scotland Act 2016. All that has been achieved in no small part through the commitment of our partners and health and social care staff working together to improve those outcomes, but that work has been informed by listening to people with dementia, their families, carers and staff, their experiences, like as Jackie Baillie highlighted, that of Tommy Whitelaw and his caring for his late mother, Joan, who helped us to identify what was working well and what could be improved. While much of the work in Scotland, particularly around post-diagnostic support, is recognised as world-leading, there is a shared view that we can go further. Over the past two years, we have worked closely with people affected by dementia and our partners to develop Scotland's third dementia strategy for 2017 to 2020. I am grateful for all the contributions and support from all those involved, including the national dementia carers action network and the Scottish dementia working group among others whom I have met over the period. Our strategy sets out 21 commitments that, as in the previous strategy, are underpinned by a rights-based approach. They focus on improving the quality of care across the whole-care pathway from diagnosis to the provision of person-centred care for people at the end of their lives, and, importantly, it focuses on the needs of carers at every stage of the journey. It also stresses the need for as early diagnosis as possible so that the person with the diagnosis can be at the centre of the decision-making about their on-going care, and I think that that is really important. Our shared vision is for a Scotland where people with dementia and those who care for them have access to timely, skilled and well-coordinated support from diagnosis to end-of-life, which helps to achieve the outcomes that matter to them. Together with our national and local partners, we will work to ensure that the ambitions contained in this strategy are realised, but it is not just about this strategy in isolation. Improving care and support for people affected by dementia is really everyone's business, so we are committed to implementing a range of other related policy ambitions that reinforce our vision and strategy. Improving support for carers is one of those areas. From next April, the Carers Scotland Act will bring new rights and support for carers, ensuring that they can continue to care if they so wish in better health and to have a life alongside caring. Carers will have a right to an adult carer support plan or young carer support young carer statement to identify their needs and personal outcomes. Local authorities will have a duty to support carers based on their identified needs, which meet local eligibility criteria and to consider whether that support should include a break from caring. There will be new requirements for carers to be involved in decisions about discharge from hospital of the person they care for, and for carers' views to be taken into account in community care assessments. We will shortly be consulting on a carer's charter setting out all the rights for carers under the act to be published before the act takes effect next April. I know that integration authorities' carer organisations are working hard to prepare for the act. I also want to acknowledge some of the other initiatives that we are supporting, such as hospitality with hospitality businesses and gifting short breaks for carers, co-ordinated by local carer centres and Shared Care Scotland. We are also committed to increasing carers allowance to the same level as job seekers allowance, covering the period from April 2018. More widely, I am pleased that the dementia carer's voices project, which is managed by the Alliance, has involved more than 70,000 NHS staff, care home staff and students on the Make a Difference pledge campaign. The campaign supports the objectives of the Charter of Rights for People with Dementia and their carers, which seeks to ensure participation, accountability, equality, empowerment and legality across services. I am pleased that there have also been considerable advances in local areas in developing and embedding dementia-friendly community initiatives, including in Motherwell, Highlands, Stirling, Edinburgh and Prestwick. Those initiatives bring people from across communities to work together to help people with dementia to remain a part of their community. I was particularly pleased to see some of those initiatives within supermarkets, for example in Forrest and Murray, where a supermarket has piloted a relaxed checkout to support people with dementia and others who need extra time at the till. Several members have talked about meeting the post-diagnostic support. Earlier today, I visited St Tridwand's medical practice in Portobello in north-east Edinburgh, where I met staff who will be testing the value of delivering post-diagnostic support in primary care. That will hopefully improve accessibility for people with dementia and their carers. I think that more improved accessibility with joined-up care with a link worker will mean quicker diagnosis and, thereafter, quicker support being put in place. Members also mentioned Frank's law, and, as most members will know, the Government is carrying out a feasibility study into looking how to extend free personal care to everyone under the age of 65, regardless of their medical conditions, not just those with dementia. The study is being taken forward by Scottish Government officials and is due to be completed this summer. Of course, we will share those findings with Parliament. We are seeking views to inform the feasibility study, and officials are holding meetings with stakeholders to feed into the study. We also have to work with COSLA, and we have issued a questionnaire to local authorities to gather up-to-date information to inform the study. I am sure that we will all be interested in seeing what that brings forward. However, today's debate has been provided us with another opportunity for us all to recognise the importance of a rights-based approach to improving the lives of people who are affected by dementia in Scotland. I want to close by reiterating the Government's commitment to continuing to adopt such an approach as we work with partners and those who are affected by dementia in realising the ambitions of our third strategy.