This is a follow on from my last blog and in many ways a summation of all my previous posts on the subject.
You can read them all by clicking on “dementia” in the Topics List.
Let’s start with some updated facts … there were estimated to be 850,000 people with dementia in the UK in 2010 when I started my blog. Now that figure has risen to almost 1,000,000. By 2040 that could rise to over 1,300,00, if no cure is found.
We spend ten times more on cancer research than we do on dementia. The focus of most charitable expenditure on dementia is on supporting sufferers and carers. Research seems mainly aimed at early diagnosis in spite of the fact that there is little treatment available on the NHS.
There are over 13,000 beds blocked in NHS hospitals by patients who are fit to be discharged, many of them elderly with no place to go. This is estimated to cost £2 billion a year.
If we used this money to move dementia patients into specialist residential homes in the community, or supported them living in their own homes, it could be a win/ win situation.
There is no point in staying in a hospital bed for “for free”, if there is no further treatment they can give you. The catch is that social care is not free so people don’t want to move.
The other unspoken barrier with residential care is that it has a bad reputation, sometimes justified by low and unqualified staffing levels. One third of social care providers are rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission.
However an investment in improved residential care and home care would be cheaper than the NHS. It would also create space in hospitals to eliminate corridor care and reduce waiting lists.
So if it that obvious, why not do it ?
The cost of social care would have to be paid for by the individual but it could be paid for by putting a charge on peoples property. In theory Local Authorities can already do this but it would be a big drag on their cash flow, so it seldom happens I suspect.
It could be facilitated by being underwritten by Central Government in the same way student loans are covered.
It would take a bold political leader to step up and suggest this and talk honestly to older people about the reality of our aging population.
It’s probably a pipe dream and means most politicians and some older people prefer assisted dieing as a final solution.
GrumbleSmiles 
well well well, getting old is a subject that needs to discussed by society in general, however very carefully and without emotion.
Past history of families in the UK were consisting of maybe 2 or more children, while today inthe2000 centuary they contain may be one or at maximum 2 children. within the UK population. Societies have moved and generations no longer appear to work in close proximity to their place of abode so hence families leave in generations at a distance from each other,
I now wish to touch on a delicate subject [s]. I was brought up that my self and wife/partner were responsible for our selves and younger generations/ offspring, and one had to invest moderately in later life for ones self and wife/partner, for any unseen misfortune or the onset of old age.
in my our younger days the considered main asset was an investment in ones place of abode-a mortgage in a freehold property [paying a mortgage for some 24 to 30 years. At the end of the mortgage payments one had an asset and maybe a income that could be used for future life? One had to take a calculated decision.
Having experience life and then maybe reached retirement and the onset of old age at maybe 70 years of age. What does one do with ones life? and how does one view old age and dementia. Society in which one lives and been responsible to actively vote for of every UK General election, one trusts and hopes society has been responsible and not selfish, but compassionate and realistic, and supports the nations expenditure for NHS and social services with recognition that the voting public in general as UK Citizens have been responsible and supportive of the nations well being. It is a difficult decisions to be made by the government of the day, but I hope and trust a responsible one that does not appear to just support one aspect of the countries society, without asking us all as individual to be wise and compassionate, so that we can all say we are proud to be british, and not just a endlessly deep pit of financial payouts.
One has to be aware of life and meet it to the best of their ability, OLD AGE and dementia to my mind is an ailment which will all will surfer, as we age, we I need to be dependent upon the younger generations of the UK! so please remember one day you will be older, and have to consider ones own and ones family future, Please be human and compassionate,