Alzheimer’s Society comment on Paul Burstow MP's report on the use of antipsychotics in people with dementia
Published 1 April 2008
The overprescribing of antipsychotics to people with dementia is robbing people of their quality of life and is a serious breach of human rights.
Paul Burstow MP's report illustrates the scale and severity of the important issue.
Inappropriate use of antipsychotics in people with dementia can cause devastating side effects, such as excessive sedation, parkinsonism symptoms, accelerated cognitive decline and an increased risk of stroke. This abuse has got to stop.
Antipsychotics have got to stop being a quick fix. There are over 700,000 people with dementia in the UK and more than half of these will experience behavioural symptoms. Alzheimer's Society research has shown that basic dementia training can help staff deal with behavioural symptoms and reduce the use of antipsychotics drugs by 50 per cent.
Neil Hunt
Chief executive
Alzheimer's Society
