English: I am pleased to contribute to today's debate, and I thank my fellow Member from Plaid Cymru for South Wales West, Luke Fletcher, for raising this important issue about the need to develop and improve diagnostic approaches and to fund support in order to support the tens of thousands of people in Wales affected by all kinds of dementia. I say tens of thousands, because, as we've heard, rather than a specific figure, the truth is we don't know the exact number. According to the Alzheimer's Society Wales, more than half of the 50,000 people suffering from dementia are undiagnosed. My father died of Alzheimer's six years ago. He was one of the ones who didn't get a diagnosis or the medical or practical support for too long, and, indeed, even after he was diagnosed, my mother had to cope with what she described as a very difficult process - such a difficult process, too difficult - in terms of finding information and having access to clinical support and practical support. The expectations and the requirements of unpaid carers in this sense, people who are often vulnerable and at the end of their tether emotionally and physically, are unreasonable and create great frustration and concern. We need to create a much better system of providing dementia services and the correct support for people living with dementia and those who care for them. Knowing what my parents went through, the difficulties that we experienced as a family in terms of having access to support services and the assessments that were needed to access that support, I can imagine entirely how terrible the COVID period is and the impact that it has already had on an unacceptable situation for too many people. Four thousand people, according to the Alzheimer's Society, are waiting for a vital memory assessment that opens the door to treatments and support. I support the call of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Wales that specific funding is needed to increase capacity and to ensure equitable access to diagnostic infrastructure and to create a clinical pathway that's much better in terms of access to treatments. During the pandemic as well there were great demands on unpaid carers, as Jenny Rathbone and others said, and the lockdown has exacerbated the symptoms of dementia and the terrible lack of investment in our social care system, leaving people without the support that they needed. Our care homes, where so many people who live with dementia live, they were left wide open to the pandemic. That is a scandal that the Welsh Government will need to account for. But we need action now to try and light the flame of hope in this very dark period, which has had a disproportionate impact on people with dementia.
Welsh: Rwy'n falch o gael y cyfle i gyfrannu i'r ddadl heddiw, ac rwy'n diolch i'm cyd-Aelod Plaid Cymru dros Orllewin De Cymru, Luke Fletcher, am godi'r mater pwysig hwn am yr angen i ddatblygu a gwella dulliau diagnostig ac ariannu cymorth er mwyn cefnogi'r degau o filoedd o bobl yng Nghymru sydd wedi'i heffeithio gan bob math o ddementia. Rwy'n dweud degau o filoedd, achos fel rŷn ni wedi clywed, yn hytrach na ffigur pendant, y gwir yw dŷn ni ddim yn siŵr o'r union nifer. Yn ôl Cymdeithas Alzheimer's Cymru, mae hanner yr 50,000 o bobl maen nhw'n meddwl sy'n byw gyda dementia yng Nghymru heb ddiagnosis. Bu farw fy nhad o glefyd Alzheimer chwe blynedd yn ôl. Roedd e'n un o'r rhai na chafodd ddiagnosis na'r cymorth meddygol nac ymarferol am gyfnod rhy hir, ac, yn wir, hyd yn oed wedi iddo gael diagnosis, bu'n rhaid i fy mam ymdopi â'r hyn mae hi'n ei ddisgrifio fel proses anodd - mor anodd, rhy anodd - o ganfod gwybodaeth a chael mynediad at gymorth clinigol ac ymarferol. Mae'r disgwyliadau o a'r gofynion ar ofalwyr di-dâl yn hyn o beth, pobl sy'n aml yn fregus ac ar ben eu tennyn yn emosiynol ac yn gorfforol, yn gwbl afresymol ac yn creu gofid, pryder a rhwystredigaeth. Mae angen sicrhau system llawer gwell o ddarparu gwasanaethau dementia a'r cymorth cywir i bobl sy'n byw gyda dementia a'r rhai sy'n gofalu amdanynt. O wybod yr hyn aeth mam a fy nhad drwyddo, yr anawsterau y profon ni fel teulu o ran cael mynediad at wasanaethau cefnogaeth a'r asesiadau oedd eu hangen i gyrchu'r gefnogaeth honno, gallaf ddychmygu yn gwmws pa mor ofnadwy mae'r cyfnod COVID wedi effeithio ar sefyllfa sydd eisoes yn annerbyniol i lawer gormod o bobl. Mae 4,000 o bobl, yn ôl Cymdeithas Alzheimer's Cymru, yn aros am asesiad cof tyngedfennol ac allweddol sy'n agor y drws at driniaethau a chymorth. Rwy'n cefnogi galwad Coleg Brenhinol y Seiciatryddion yng Nghymru bod angen cyllid penodol i gynyddu capasiti a sicrhau hygyrchedd cyfartal i isadeiledd diagnostig a chreu llwybr clinigol llawer gwell o ran cael mynediad at driniaethau. Yn ystod y pandemig hefyd fe ddwysaodd y gofyn ar ofalwyr di-dâl, fel rŷn ni wedi'i glywed gan Jenny Rathbone ac eraill, ac effaith y cyfnod clo yma wedi gwaethygu symptomau dementia a'r diffyg buddsoddiad cywilyddus yn ein system gofal cymdeithasol, gan adael pobl heb y gefnogaeth oedd ei hangen arnyn nhw. Gadawyd ein cartrefi gofal, ble mae cymaint o bobl sy'n byw gyda dementia yn byw, yn agored lled y pen i'r pandemig. Mae hynny yn sgandal y bydd angen i Lywodraeth Cymru ateb amdano. Ond mae angen gweithredu nawr i geisio cynnau fflam o obaith yn y cyfnod tywyll hwn sydd wedi effeithio'n anghymesur ar bobl â dementia.