Dr. Jo Wilson dies after a three-year battle with dementia
A woman with dementia, who the media has been following for months as her husband battled to secure care for her, has died.
Dr. Jo Wilson of Newcastle was a business executive before being diagnosed with cancer in 2020.
She was admitted to a nursing home earlier this month after weeks of delays, but she died on Saturday, aged 69.
Bill, her husband, stated that he wanted their case to focus on health and social care issues.
The couple had been married for nearly 50 years, with Mr. Wilson caring for his wife around the clock as her illness progressed.
He previously described the care system as “broken”.
“I’ve done all of this because I want to see change,” he told BBC News. Only by standing on a rooftop and screaming about dementia will change occur.
“There is a significant difference between being ill, which is treatable by the NHS, and dementia. Nothing comes for free; we must pay for everything.”
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Mr. Wilson said it took two years to get a care package in place for his wife, but it was only after she fell and ended up in the hospital that one was finally agreed upon.
He found home visits from caregivers to be frustrating because of frequent staff changes, unreliable timekeeping, and a lack of understanding of dementia.
In October, he stated that estimates for residential care for his wife were around £1,500 per week and that their savings would have been used to cover the cost.
According to current rules, their local council would fund a place in a care home only after their own funds had been depleted.
Dementia Matters, a charity based in Tyneside, was eventually able to step in and provide a residential bed.
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Changes aimed at assisting people in covering their personal care costs are set to take effect in October, including a more generous means test and a lifetime cap on care costs of £86,000.
Adult care services, however, may deteriorate if reforms are not delayed for a year, according to councils.
The Department for Health and Social Care says it is investing £5.4bn over three years to reform adult social care and “protect people from unpredictable social care costs”.
