Category Archives: Older care

Quarter of hospital beds are now occupied by dementia sufferers

Emergency admissions for dementia patients rise 12%

A quarter of hospital beds are now occupied by dementia sufferers as emergency admissions have risen sharply in recent years, figures show.

 

Too many dementia sufferers are ending up in hospital, it is claimed. Photo: REX

By , Social Affairs Editor

6:10AM GMT 15 Dec 2011

 

Experts say the increasing number of admissions is costly to the NHS and in many cases unnecessary, as well as traumatic for vulnerable patients.

Campaigners are calling for new strategies to improve care for dementia under the reformed health service, with greater involvement from patients themselves.

Reforms to long-term care for the elderly may not take effect until 2025

Reforms to long-term care for the elderly may not take effect for another 15 years, despite warnings that the system is already in crisis.

By , Political Correspondent

6:15AM GMT 14 Dec 2011

Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, yesterday refused to rule out a new tax on pensioners to pay for the soaring costs of old age and acknowledged that more funding was needed.

His advisers admitted that key parts of the planned reformed system of care for elderly and disabled adults may not come into effect before 2025.

How Aladdin panto made the day for dementia sufferers

Aladdin helps Actonepanto reach the heart

 

After a recent performance of Aladdin at Barnes Court Residential Home,Sunderland, this email to Jule Watson of Actonepanto speaks for itself!

“Hi Jule,

I just wanted to let you know that our residents, staff and family members all thoroughly enjoyed Aladdin last night. The simplicity of the “stage setting” and the standard of acting/singing was brilliant. Your actors fully engaged with even the most challenging residents (we were set up on the dementia floor) and I have never seen so many smiling faces in a long time!! The songs were very familiar to the audience and, of course, this is very important to dementia sufferers because this stimulates their memories.