New report highlights care home market failing to tackle dementia

It found that a third of care homes specialising in dementia do not provide their staff with dementia care training. 

Evidence from the report will be presented to a parliamentary inquiry today by All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia (APPG). The APPG is investigating whether social care staff caring for people with dementia are being equipped with the right skills to deliver quality dementia care. 

'Two-thirds of care home residents have dementia, that's almost a quarter of a million people yet as these new figures show the vast majority of people are not in homes set up to care for people with dementia.   

It is a sad indictment of the current state of dementia care that a third of care homes specifically registered for dementia fail to provide their staff with any dementia care training. This is probably the tip of the iceberg with many thousands more people with dementia in non-specialist homes.  

Alzheimer's Society research has shown that training staff to deliver person centred care can improve people's quality of life and reduce the use of dangerous antipsychotic drugs.  In less than 15 years there will be a million people living with dementia, we need to gear the whole of the care home sector to delivering good dementia care.'

Neil Hunt
Chief Executive
Alzheimer's Society

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Notes to editors:

Dementia Care Services UK Market Briefing 2009 is available from Laing & Buisson on 020 7833 9123.

• 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 will die with dementia.
• Alzheimer's Society research shows dementia costs the UK £17 billion. This figure is predicted to treble in the next 30 years.
• 700,000 people have a form of dementia in the UK, more than half have Alzheimer's disease. This will soar to 1.7 million people in UK by 2051.
• Dementia is not a natural part of ageing; it is caused by diseases of the brain and robs people of their lives.
• Alzheimer's Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. Alzheimer's Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Alzheimer's Society needs to raise money to care for people today and to find a cure for tomorrow. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting alzheimers.org.uk
• Alzheimer's Society provides a National Dementia Helpline, the number is 0845 300 0336
  

For futher information please contact the press office on 0207 423 3595 or email press@alzheimers.org.uk