The health and care system in England is 'struggling' to adequately care for people with dementia, according to a damning report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The regulator found that both hospitals and care homes are failing in key areas as the number of people with the condition rises due to increased life expectancy.
The CQC's review of over 20,000 inspections and existing data revealed that dementia patients in hospital are more likely to face longer stays, be readmitted, and die there. In 96% of hospital trusts, people with dementia stayed longer than those without, and in 85% of trusts, they were 'significantly more likely' to die in hospital.
Care homes were also found to be lacking. In 78 out of 151 local NHS areas, people with dementia living in care homes were more likely to be admitted to hospital for avoidable reasons than those without the condition. The CQC called for better identification of dementia and comprehensive staff training, noting that almost a third of hospital admissions for people with dementia did not include a record of their condition, even when previously diagnosed.
CQC chief executive David Behan stated: 'The people in charge of care homes and hospitals must work better, individually and together to ensure the right services are in place.' Around one in three people over 65 will develop dementia, with an estimated 800,000 currently affected, a figure expected to exceed one million within a decade.
Alzheimer's Society chief executive Jeremy Hughes criticised inaction, saying: 'Tolerating inaction on dementia care even a day longer is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with the lives of people with the condition.' The government has made dementia a priority, backing awareness campaigns and funding research, but care services minister Norman Lamb insisted: 'There is no excuse for delivering poor care.'
