Dementia in care home residents increasing
Dementia in care home residents increasing
More than 320,000 of the 400,000 people living in care homes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland now have dementia or severe memory problems, the Alzheimer’s Society charity estimates.
It said the figure was almost 30% higher than previous estimates because of the rise in the ageing population and improvements in data collection.
Of 2,000 adults surveyed, 70% said they would be scared about going to a home.
Another two-thirds felt the sector was not doing enough to tackle abuse.
And just 41% of 1,100 family members and carers surveyed thought their loved ones’ quality of life was good.
Alzheimer’s Society chief executive Jeremy Hughes said: “Society has such low expectation of care homes that people are settling for average.
“Throughout our lives we demand the best for ourselves and our children. Why do we expect less for our parents?
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What is dementia?
- Dementia is an umbrella term describing a serious deterioration in mental functions, such as memory, language, orientation and judgement.
- There are many types, but Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for two-thirds of cases, is the most well-known.
What is dementia awareness training and who needs it?
There are around 20,000 care homes in the UK.
Every member of staff working in care homes should have dementia awareness training.