The Department of Health has announced a “landmark strategy to transform dementia services”. It claims care for patients with dementia will be transformed as dementia advisers are appointed, GPs receive improved training, and memory centres run by specialists to provide early diagnosis and treatment are opened nationwide.

The strategy will receive a £150 million investment over the next two years; it will raise dementia awareness and ensure early diagnosis and intervention, and radically improve the quality of care that patients with dementia receive, said Alan Johnson, Health Secretary.

The specialist memory services that will open throughout the country will allow people with dementia to have their diagnosis made accurately and early. Patients will be able to get access to treatment and intervention that will help them cope well with dementia.

Other initiatives recommended in the strategy to help the 570,000 people with dementia in England, their carers and families include:

— GPs trained to detect the initial symptoms of dementia;

— memory services throughout the country run by specialists to provide early diagnosis and treatment;

— a senior member of staff to be identified in general hospitals and care homes who will provide leadership to improve the quality of care for people with dementia;

— new dementia advisers – they will act as guides to help dementia patients and their families navigate the care and support system throughout their illness. Their role will be piloted in the first year of the strategy;

— broader provision of community mental health teams for the elderly to assess patients in care homes and to help reduce the use of anti-psychotic medication;

— better education and training for professionals;

— better evidence on research needs on the causes of and treatment for dementia;

— relevant information for dementia patients , their carers and families after diagnosis;

— improved public awareness to help remove the stigma attached to dementia.

The Department of Health says that the number of people with dementia in the UK will double over the next three decades. The cost of care and treatment for dementia patents will most likely triple – current direct NHS costs for dementia are about £3.3 billion annually.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson said “In an ageing society, caring for people with dementia is one of the most important challenges we face. I know that for many people, diagnosis can be difficult, care can be patchy and without adequate support, families can be under huge stress. All that must change. The creation of a new role of dementia advisor will be crucial in making sure people and families get the help they need. I also want to see GPs trained to recognise the early symptoms of dementia and be able to refer people with dementia to specialists who can give an effective diagnosis. This will allow people with dementia to get the care and treatment they need and remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. We owe them, their carers and their families nothing less.”

Chief Executive of the Alzheimer’s Society Neil Hunt said “Today’s announcement sets out an ambitious national rescue plan to transform the lives of people living with dementia. One million people will develop dementia in the next ten years. This is a momentous opportunity to avert a dementia crisis that could overwhelm the NHS and social care. There is so much to do. Only a third of people with dementia get a formal diagnosis, denying them vital support. It is essential the strong leadership from the Department of Health continues so that these plans become a reality. Change won’t happen overnight, but the Alzheimer’s Society will be working tirelessly to bring dementia out of the shadows.”

Link
The Dementia Strategy.

— Direct costs of dementia to the NHS are currently estimated to be in the region of £3.3 billion per year. The NHS in England spent some £60.9 million on dementia drugs during 2005.
— Dementia costs the UK economy £17 billion a year.
— It is estimated that there are currently 700,000 people in the UK with dementia, with approximately 570,000 in England.
— In the next 30 years the number of people with dementia in the UK will double to 1.4 million in and the costs will treble to over £50 billion a year.
— Dementia is one of the main causes of disability in later life, ahead of some cancers, cardiovascular disease and stroke

Written by Christian Nordqvist