MPs and peers launch inquiry into cost of dementia care
Published 31 December 2010
Spending money more effectively on dementia will be the focus of a major inquiry being launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Dementia.
The financial cost of the condition in the UK is estimated to be £20 billion a year and this cost is likely to grow to over £27 billion by 2018. There is evidence that improving dementia services, for example by providing support early can create cost savings and deliver better care for people with dementia.
Baroness Sally Greengross, Chair of the APPG on Dementia, says,
'As the number of people with dementia rises the financial burden will only increase. In this difficult economic climate, it's imperative that money is spent wisely. We know that it's possible to create cost savings and deliver better quality of care for people with dementia. We want people to share ideas and practical examples so that the NHS, local authorities and others can deliver the best care at the right price.'
Alzheimer's Society's Counting the Cost report, published in November 2009, found that at least £80 million a year could be saved if people with dementia were enabled to leave hospital one week earlier. Research also shows that if the government achieves its target to reduce the use of antipsychotic drugs by two thirds this would save £55 million every year
Examples of ways cost efficient dementia care is already being provided include:
- A mental health liaison service for hospitals in Leeds reduced admissions and facilitated early discharge for older people. The average length of stay for people with dementia fell by 54%, saving 1,056 bed-days per year.
- A specialist care home liaison team in Doncaster was established in 2006 to provide mental health support to local care homes. After the first year, admissions from care homes to hospital had been reduced by 75 per cent.
- A Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment team in West Sussex expanded its remit to include older people in addition to those of working age. Admissions to hospital for older people were reduced by 31 per cent without any adverse impact on patient or carer satisfaction.
(King's Fund, October 2010)
The inquiry is inviting key groups including commissioners of health and social care, people with dementia and leading organisations to submit evidence. The best practice examples will then be shared and hopefully used across the UK.
Contact the Society
Email:
enquiries@alzheimers.org.ukTelephone:
+44 (0) 20 7423 3500Send your feedback or find key contact details.
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Tuesday 4 January 2011
MPs and peers launch inquiry into cost of dementia care - Alzheimer's Society
