This report published by the National Audit Office presents findings from a study into the health and social care services available for people with dementia and their unpaid carers in England and whether they are providing effective and good quality support; and the scope for better use of resources against a background of rising demand.
The primary focus of the report ‘Improving services and support for people with dementia’, is on the diagnosis and treatment of dementia in people over 65, who account for the vast majority of people with dementia, but where relevant we highlight specific issues relevant to the 12,000 or so people who have been diagnosed with young-onset dementia.
The report does not cover prevention; despite a growing body of research on actions or activities that might help prevent or delay the onset of dementia, this is still a relatively under-developed area of research and the focus of the NHS is on intervention, treatment and care once diagnosis has been made.
The methodology included:
- focus groups and a web forum of people with dementia and unpaid carers
- a census of Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs)
- a health and social care system case study of provision for people with dementia in Lincolnshire, and
- a survey of 1,000 GPs further details are at Appendix 1
Download:
- Executive summary (PDF – 310KB)
- Full report (PDF – 1097KB)
- Press notice (HTML)
- Community Mental Health Teams for Older People – Census Results (PDF – 199KB)
- Dementia: International Comparisons (PDF – 147KB)
- Identifying Alternatives to Hospital for People with Dementia – Lincolnshire Case Study (PDF – 729KB)
- Maintaining good health for older people with dementia who experience fractured neck of femur (PDF – 736KB)
- Web Forum Survey Results (PDF – 79KB)
- Focus Groups Findings (PDF – 241KB)