Social Care Workforce Not Ready To Deliver Dementia Care - MPs

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 17 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

A report published revealed the social care workforce is unfit to deliver quality care for people with dementia.

'Prepared to Care' a report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia found large variation in the dementia skills of the social care workforce. Barriers to delivering good care included low levels of training, ineffective regulation, lack of accreditation for trainers and a limited understanding of dementia by commissioners.

During a four month long inquiry, families told MPs how a lack of skills led to poor care for loved ones. Experts reported less than half of staff providing home care had any dementia training and many were given just 15 minutes to deliver good care. In other evidence, high quality care reinforced that the right skills make a huge difference to people's lives. The report recommends that workforce development plans outlined in the National Dementia Strategy for England be quickly implemented.

Jeremy Wright MP, Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia says,

'It is deeply disturbing that the UK is not equipped to deliver high quality dementia care. One in three people over 65 die with dementia. This report identifies significant barriers to good care but it also presents unique opportunities to put things right. Organisations who deliver good care show us that ongoing training, support and the opportunity to practice person-centred care transform people's lives. We must improve training and support across the UK and give staff recognition for the difficult and important role they undertake.'

Neil Hunt, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society says,

'As the number of people with dementia reaches more than a million in less than 20 years, the entire social care workforce must be geared up to deliver good dementia care. Dementia care is a highly skilled profession. Social care staff must given the right support and training and the Department of Health must show leadership to deliver workforce development commitments in the National Dementia Strategy. Since the 1950's improvements in cancer care have given millions of people a better quality of life. The same must now be done for people with dementia.'

Elsewhere the report recommends that the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) could be used to develop career pathways for dementia care that could attract new staff and government funding for training. MPs also advocate that the Short Observational Framework tool (SOFI) could be used to inspect services for people with dementia and that an accreditation programme for trainers must be developed.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia (APPG) raises awareness dementia amongst parliamentarians and aims to influence legislation and policy making to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers.
Published in April 2008 the APPG on Dementia report, 'Always a last resort' found that up to 105,000 people with dementia are given the drugs inappropriately.
For a copy of full terms of reference of the inquiry and information about submitting evidence please click here, email appg@alzheimers.org.uk, telephone 020 7423 3585.
Alzheimer's Society is secretariat to the group and provides administrative support and expert advice.

About Alzheimer's Society

1 in 3 people over the age of 65 will die with dementia.
700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051.
Dementia is not a natural part of ageing; it is caused by diseases of the brain and robs people of their lives.
Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Alzheimer's Society needs to raise money to help people live well with dementia today and for research to find a cure for tomorrow.

Source
Alzheimer's Society