Call to improve healthcare environments for dementia sufferers

By The Press Association11th August 2015News EnglandAlzheimers, Care Standards, Dementia, News England, Older People

Many healthcare environments do not adequately support the needs of people with dementia, the first assessment of its kind has found.

Poor quality flooring, signage, handrails and seating have left some health services failing to achieve an acceptable environment for people with the chronic brain disorder, which is estimated to affect one in three people over 65.

The Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) considered for the first time how prepared healthcare environments are in supporting dementia patients as part of a series of assessments into aspects of non-clinical care, such as cleanliness and patient dignity.

The national average score in the dementia assessment was 75%, with a lowest score of 40% and a highest rating of 100%, the HSCIC said.

The report described the dementia figures as “relatively low” in comparison to other criteria such as cleanliness, rated at 97%, and patient dignity at 86%.

Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, a charity which supports older people, said uniform settings can be confusing and difficult to navigate for people with dementia while practical aids such as simple signs, grab rails and distinctive paintwork can “make all the difference”.

“These figures reveal that a significant number of hospitals and care settings still have a long way to go to fully meet the needs of patients with dementia,” she said.

“The Prime Minister David Cameron has talked of an ongoing challenge to tackle dementia. This challenge must continue by providing improved and appropriate hospital care and more dementia-friendly environments for patients with this long-term condition.”

The report said: “The national average score for the dementia domain was relatively low at 74.51%. This however is as expected since the assessment was only introduced in 2015 and it is recognised that many healthcare environments are some way from being wholly appropriate for the treatment of people with dementia.

“However recognising and planning how to meet the challenges this represents is a crucial first step in bringing about improvements and this aspect of the assessment should help healthcare providers in identifying what they may need to do in this important area.”

The HSCIC, which assessed 1,044 sites against the dementia criteria, said the content of assessments is guided by NHS England and the Department of Health.