Tag Archives: dementia

It is not fair to do this to patients with dementia!

April 9, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia

Care home residents with dementia sent to A&E alone

Care homes are increasingly leaving residents with dementia on their own in hospital. Why is this happening?

 

Lynne Wallis’s 90-year-old mother, Madge, who was sent to A&E in acute pain, alone and without her hearing aid or dentures.

My mother Madge, 90, who has mild vascular dementia – she knows who the prime minister is but can’t remember what she had for lunch – has had several health problems since living in care homes. Most have gone undetected until I have noticed and alerted staff, after which a doctor has been called or, more usually, she has gone straight to A&E. Her undetected health problems have ranged from gout to acute urinary infections to a vascular dementia “episode”, the equivalent of a small stroke – it was me who noticed her speech was slurred and her motor skills impaired, not her carers.

The four care homes Madge has lived in since 2005 have all sent residents alone in ambulances to hospital, which means those with dementia or severe memory problems – 80% of all care-home residents according to research by the Alzheimer’s Society – are confused about why they are there, with no one to advocate for them, get them a cup of tea or take them to the loo. The wait in A&E can be as long as five hours, a very long time for any elderly person to be alone in a stressful environment, never mind for someone with dementia.

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Thousands of dementia sufferers rarely see loved ones

April 9, 2013   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, family

Tens of thousands of elderly people with dementia see friends or family just once a week according to a landmark report warning of an “epidemic of loneliness” among Britain’s most vulnerable.

 

One third of dementia sufferers said they had lost friends following a diagnosis

By , Health Correspondent

8:00AM BST 09 Apr 2013

The study by the Alzheimer’s Society says that 250,000 people – almost one third of those suffering from dementia – are now living alone in their own homes.

Of those, 29 per cent only see friends or family once a week, while 23 per cent can only expect one weekly phone call.

Jeremy Hughes, the charity’s chief executive said: “This report reveals the stark truth that too many people with dementia, especially the thousands who live alone, are truly isolated.

“We need to put a stop to this epidemic of loneliness, not only to improve quality of life but also to save thousands from reaching crisis point and being admitted to hospital unnecessarily or care homes early.”

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Banks offered new guidance on dealing with family carers

April 3, 2013   Cancer, Carers, dementia, Multiple Sclerosis, Older care

Banks offered new guidance on dealing with carers

  • By: Joanna Faith
  • 03 Apr 2013
  • All banks and building societies in the UK have today received new guidance to support carers and relatives who manage accounts on behalf of other people.
care-home-web

The framework – and the complementary consumer guide which accompanies it – aims to help these people have a better and more consistent experience, reducing their burden at what can be a very difficult time.

Arranging to run an account on behalf of a loved one is a challenge faced by thousands of people every year. Since 2007, 536,941 Lasting Powers of Attorney have been registered in the UK to manage property and affairs, which includes the management of financial matters. In 2012 there were around 800,000 people in the UK suffering from dementia with this number forecast to rise to more than a million by 2021.

The guidance framework has been jointly developed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), the British Bankers Association (BBA) and the Building Societies Association (BSA), working in collaboration with the Law Society, Alzheimer’s Society, Solicitors for the Elderly and Age UK.

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