70% increase of avoidable A&E admissions for people with dementia in the last 5 years - Alzheimer’s Society
People with dementia occupy at least a quarter of hospital beds and are the biggest users of adult social care services, says Alzheimer's Society.
Dementia is currently the biggest challenge facing our health and care system. People with dementia occupy at least a quarter of hospital beds and are the biggest users of adult social care services. Over the last five years we have seen a 70% increase of avoidable A&E admissions for people with dementia, costing between £350-400 million a year.
Funding that shifts support from expensive emergency care to better care in the community, where people need and want it most, is a step in the right direction but good community care isn't simply about medical care - so once again this ignores and fails to tackle the real issue of a buckling social care system and will do little if anything for people with dementia.
One million people will have dementia by 2021 and they’ll need costly social care to support them to live independently.
Last year our Fix Dementia Care campaign found 50,000 people with dementia were rushed to A&E after emergencies that properly provided care in the community could have prevented.
For this initiative to work there must be recognition of the desperate need for funding of social care.
