Dementia patients need trained care, says Alzheimer’s Society

A new report by healthcare market analyst Laing & Buisson has found that only 57 per cent of dementia sufferers are receiving care from trained specialists, and the Alzheimer’s Society has repeated calls for person-centred

The care provided for 142,000 people with dementia in British homes was studied and it was found that over half do not have sufficient training, and many control patients with anti-psychotic drugs, diminishing their quality of life.

One-third of care homes claiming to offer specialised dementia care do not have training for staff.Chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society, Neil Hunt said: “Two thirds of care home residents have dementia yet, as these new figures show, the vast majority of people are not in homes set up to care for people with dementia.

He added,”The disability charity’s own research had shown that person-centred care reduced the need for anti-psychotic drugs.Research by Australian scientists recently showed the benefits of person-centred dementia care, which include reduced agitation of patients, money savings and quickly-taught techniques.