DementiaRoadmap

This report published by the Alzheimer’s Society stresses the need to lift expectations and to strengthen existing minimum standards to boost quality of life for people with dementia in care homes.

Download Low expectations: attitudes on choice, care and community for people with dementia in care homes

Findings from recent research and surveys detailed in the report include:

• 80% of people living in care homes have either dementia or severe memory problems
• 41% of relatives report that their loved ones enjoyed good quality of life
• 24% of family members have difficulty finding information on care homes
• 70% of UK adults say they would be fairly or very scared of going into a care home
• 64% of UK adults do not feel the sector is doing enough to tackle abuse in care homes.

Key recommendations for practice

• Meaningful choices in care should be promoted through provision of information on quality of providers, and empowerment of people with dementia, family members and health and care staff to enable choice.
• People with dementia and their family members should have access to information and support early on in the condition, and be advised of care options for the future.
• Continued efforts should be made to improve the quality of life and quality of care for people with dementia in care homes.
• The care home sector and regulators must do more to respond to the issue of abuse in care homes.
• People with dementia should have access to the same level of support from health and care services in care homes as they would in the community.
• Care homes should seek to be centres of dementia-friendly communities, acting as focus points for activity and engaging with the local population.