English: Formerly known as Dementia Awareness Week, 21-27 May is Dementia Action Week 2018, and I call for a Welsh Government statement accordingly. As most Members are fully aware, there are 45,000 people in Wales estimated to have dementia. This is expected to rise 35 per cent over the next couple of decades, yet only around half of individuals in Wales with dementia have a diagnosis. Four years ago, I became a dementia friend. Three months ago, my father, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, died after a fall. My eldest son is having his hair shaved on 1 June to raise money for Alzheimer's Society. He says, 'I can't change what has happened, but I can help to find a solution.' If any Members feel able to go on to Just Giving, even with £1, that would be much appreciated. On Wednesday, BBC One are showing a programme, The Toddlers who Took on Dementia, following a recent experiment conducted by Bangor University in Old Colwyn's dementia care home, Llys Elian, with a group of young toddlers sharing three days with older residents, to see whether spending time with them may help fight the effects of dementia. Again, I've been asked to commend that programme to this Assembly, and to others, hopefully, outside who are hearing this. In May 2016, Alzheimer's Society hosted many AMs at their event in the Wales Millennium Centre, about their work on creating dementia-friendly communities in Wales. In February, Alzheimer's Society and Ageing Well in Wales held a 'What next for dementia-friendly communities in north Wales?' event. We know that the Older People's Commissioner for Wales's 'Dementia: more than just memory loss' report in 2016 identified a continuing lack of knowledge and understanding of dementia. We also know, at that stage, Alzheimer's Society were calling for the then proposed Welsh Government dementia strategy to set out clear targets for increased dementia diagnosis rates, currently then the lowest in any UK nation. In February 2018, the Welsh Government launched its dementia action plan, but delivery, I think as the Minister said in his foreword, will be the measure of its success. So, the dementia challenge we all share is the one that we must all rise up to. And I therefore call for a Welsh Government statement in Dementia Action Week 2018 accordingly.
Welsh: Yr enw blaenorol arni oedd Wythnos Ymwybyddiaeth o Ddementia, ond 21-27 Mai 2018 yw Wythnos Gweithredu Dementia, ac rwy'n galw am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn unol â hynny. Fel y mae'r rhan fwyaf o Aelodau yn gwbl ymwybodol, amcangyfrifir bod 45,000 o bobl yng Nghymru yn dioddef o ddementia. Disgwylir i hyn gynyddu 35 y cant dros y degawdau nesaf, ond eto dim ond tua hanner yr unigolion yng Nghymru sydd â dementia sydd wedi cael y diagnosis hwnnw. Bedair blynedd yn ôl, fe ddes innau'n gyfaill dementia. Dri mis yn ôl, bu farw fy nhad, sydd wedi dioddef o Alzheimer a dementia fasgwlaidd, ar ôl iddo gwympo. Bydd fy mab hynaf yn eillio ei wallt ar 1 Mehefin i godi arian i'r Gymdeithas Alzheimer. Dywedodd, 'ni allaf newid yr hyn sydd wedi digwydd, ond fe alla' i helpu i ddod o hyd i ddatrysiad.' Pe byddai unrhyw Aelodau yn teimlo y gallan nhw fynd i Just Giving a rhoi £1 hyd oed, byddem yn gwerthfawrogi hynny'n fawr. Ddydd Mercher, mae BBC One yn dangos rhaglen, The Toddlers who Took on Dementia, yn dilyn arbrawf diweddar gan Brifysgol Bangor yng nghartref gofal dementia Hen Golwyn, Llys Elian, gyda grŵp o blant bach ifanc, yn treulio tri diwrnod gyda thrigolion hŷn, i weld a yw treulio amser gyda nhw'n helpu i wyrdroi effeithiau dementia. Unwaith eto, gofynnwyd i mi ganmol y rhaglen honno i'r Cynulliad hwn, ac i eraill, gobeithio, y tu allan sy'n gwrando ar hyn. Ym mis Mai 2016, cynhaliodd Cymdeithas Alzheimer ddigwyddiad, yr oedd llawer o Aelodau'r Cynulliad ynddo, yng Nghanolfan Mileniwm Cymru, i arddangos eu gwaith ar greu cymunedau cyfeillgar i ddementia yng Nghymru. Ym mis Chwefror, cynhaliodd Cymdeithas Alzheimer a Heneiddio'n Dda yng Nghymru ddigwyddiad 'Beth nesaf ar gyfer cymunedau cyfeillgar i ddementia yn y gogledd?'. Rydym ni'n gwybod y nododd adroddiad Comisiynydd Pobl Hŷn Cymru, 'Dementia: mwy na dim ond colli'r cof', yn 2016 ddiffyg parhaus o ran gwybodaeth am ddementia a'r ddealltwriaeth ohono. Gwyddom hefyd fod y Gymdeithas Alzheimer, bryd hynny, wedi galw am i'r strategaeth dementia a oedd yn yr arfaeth ar y pryd gan Lywodraeth Cymru, i nodi targedau clir ar gyfer gwella cyfraddau diagnosio dementia, a oedd y rhai isaf o blith cenhedloedd y DU ar yr adeg honno. Ym mis Chwefror 2018, lansiodd Llywodraeth Cymru ei chynllun gweithredu ar gyfer dementia, ond y cyflawni fydd mesur ei lwyddiant, fel y dywedodd y Gweinidog yn ei ragair. Felly, yr her dementia yr ydym ni i gyd yn ei rhannu yw'r un y mae'n rhaid i ni i gyd ei hwynebu. A galwaf felly am ddatganiad gan Lywodraeth Cymru yn Wythnos Gweithredu Dementia 2018 yn unol â hynny.