Ward rounds should be at the heart of dementia care, say Royal Colleges

The colleges report that ward rounds are often neglected in planning inpatient care and that pressures relating to staffing levels lead to wide variations in how and when ward rounds are conducted.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'People with dementia occupy a quarter of hospital beds, but too often they are being let down by disjointed patient care. This isn't just bad for the patient - poor quality dementia care costs the average hospital £6million per year. People are staying in hospital longer and their condition often deteriorates whilst they are there.

'Improving the process of ward could have a real impact on patient care.  We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Tools such as Alzheimer's Society's leaflet 'This is Me' help clinicians on rounds remember the person behind the dementia and are already in use by many hospitals.'

Andrew Chidgey
Director of External Affairs
Alzheimer's Society

• read our Counting the cost report looking at the care of people with dementia in hospitals