Hospital care of dementia patients criticised

An Alzheimer’s Society survey of 1,300 carers and 1,00 nurses has found that more than 50% of dementia patients that are admitted to hospital suffering from complaints such as chest infections and broken hips are staying there much longer than other patients. The prolonged hospital stays combined with varying standards of care are resulting in many dementia patients ending up in a worse state of health on discharge than when they were admitted. The Society is calling for clinical leadership, nurse training and community support services to be improved so that these patients can be discharged a week earlier – a move that it says will save the NHS millions of pounds. Chief executive Neil Hunt comments: ‘It is shocking that people with dementia are occupying up to a quarter of hospital beds yet there are scandalous variations in the quality of dementia care in hospitals.’ Care minister Phil Hope responded by stating that the recently-launched national dementia strategy will work to improve the situation, with extra training and resources becoming available for both carers and nursing staff. He added that a national clinical director for dementia will shortly be appointed to lead the strategy and its implementation.