Spotlight On Homes’ Failings In Caring For People With Dementia

People with dementia in care homes typically spend just two minutes in every six hours talking to others, according to a major report highlighting widespread failings in dementia care.

A study published today by the Alzheimer’s Society, based on a survey of more than 3,500 people, highlights how “basic standards of dignity and respect are being ignored” in the care of dementia sufferers in residential homes, with families often wary of complaining in case their relatives suffer reprisals.

More than half of families surveyed said there was not enough for their relative with dementia to do each day. Residents, particularly those with advanced dementia, are frequently being left isolated with little opportunity for activity or meaningful interaction apart from the basic communication involved in everyday care tasks, says the report, Home From Home.

Even though many care homes have attractive gardens, residents – particularly those in the later stages of dementia – often do not have the support to go outside and enjoy them.

The society calls today for mandatory dementia training for all care home staff, pointing out that two-thirds of care home residents in the UK – almost a quarter of a million people – have dementia.

It urges an end to the idea of the traditional “old folks’ home”, and calls for care homes to begin operating as specialist dementia care providers.

Only half of those with dementia in care homes are in dementia-registered beds, the report finds, warning that retaining those beds only for those with specialist needs means raising standards of dementia care across all homes.

The study, based on a survey of relatives and care home staff and managers, is the latest to lay bare the gaps and weaknesses in dementia care in the UK. Earlier this year, another report by the society put the cost of dementia to the UK at £17b.

In August, the National Audit Office warned that the steep rise in dementia cases in England – forecast to increase from 560,000 now to more than 750,000 by 2020 and 1.4 million by 2051 – presents a “significant and urgent challenge” to health and care services to which the government is failing to respond.

According to today’s study, reports from carers, dementia sufferers and national organisations reveal unacceptable standards of dementia care in many homes. The condition may be diagnosed too late or not at all, says the report, with carers lacking the knowledge or skills to respond to symptoms. Dementia, it warns, can become “a label behind which other needs are lost”. Meanwhile, families of so-called self-funders – those who pay for their own care – can be reluctant to complain to care homes for fear their relative may be subjected to worse treatment.

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Hundreds of thousands of people with dementia are living in residential care and yet the majority of staff do not have adequate training.

“We hear the horror stories, but also the hope among people with dementia and their carers about the difference good dementia care can make.”

Stephen Burke, chief executive of the care charity Counsel and Care, said: “The fact that two-thirds of care home residents have some form of dementia means that action is needed now. Government needs to provide the funding to improve social activities in care homes, involve families and carers by providing information, and allowing them to make key decisions about the care of residents. People with dementia must also be treated with respect, and families should not fear reprisals if they make a complaint.”

Main points

Alzheimer’s Society recommendations

· Dementia care to be seen as the key task of care homes, with all staff to be trained in dementia care and recognition of the condition

· Higher expectations about the quality of life of care home residents

· More work to boost engagement and occupation among residents in care homes, with inspections to monitor progress

· Homes to be monitored for effective relationships between staff and relatives

· Independent complaints system outside homes themselves if families have concerns