Global status report on the public health response to dementia

World Health Organization | September 2021 | Global status report on the public health response to dementia

Global status report on the public health response to dementia– a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) takes stock of actions driven by Member States, WHO and civil society since the adoption of the global action plan, identifies barriers to its implementation especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights areas where urgent, accelerated action is required.

The report includes updated estimates on dementia burden and costs globally based on WHO’s Global Health Estimates 2019 and the Global Burden of Disease study 2019. It also uses data submitted by 62 of WHO Member States to the Global Dementia Observatory.

The report shows that while some progress is being made, urgent increased efforts are needed globally to reach the dementia targets by 2025.

Executive summary

Report

Age UK report: The impact of COVID-19 to date on older people’s mental and physical health

Age UK | October 2020 | The impact of COVID-19 to date on older people’s
mental and physical health

Carers, families, and friends of people living with dementia have told Age UK that they have seen rapid deterioration in their loved one’s cognitive function, which has affected memory, sleep, mood, and behaviour. They explained how hard it has been to help someone with dementia to understand why they cannot do the things they enjoy or see the people they love

Full details are available in Age UK’s report The impact of COVID-19 to date on older people’s mental and physical health

See also:

Age UK Age UK research lays bare the drastic impact of the pandemic on our older population’s health and morale

Worst hit: dementia during coronavirus #covid19rftlks

Alzheimer’s Society| September 2020| Worst hit: dementia during coronavirus

A new report from the Alzheimer’s Society spotlights the impact of the pandemic on family and friends caring for a loved one with dementia. Worst hit: dementia during coronavirus reveals that 92 million extra hours of care have been given in response to what the report terms, the ‘double whammy of lockdown making dementia symptoms worse, and the chronically underfunded social care system leaving them nowhere else to turn.’

Almost half (45%) of those caregivers surveyed by the charity, felt the level of care their loved one with dementia needed was more than they could give. Half of carers have spent more than 100 hours a week looking after or helping the person they care for since 23 March.

Image is a poster taken from the publication, it states key statistics from the report

Alzheimer’s Society Worst hit: dementia during coronavirus

Alzheimer’s Society press release ‘Exhausted’ family and friends spent 92 million extra hours caring for loved ones with dementia since lockdown

Number of people with dementia in Europe set to almost double by 2050

Alzheimer Europe | February 2020 |Dementia in Europe Yearbooks 

A new report from Alzheimer Europe predicts that the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease-based on current trends- will increase twofold by 2050. The report emphasises that this is despite a reduction in the prevalence of dementia. 

The 2018 Alzheimer Europe Yearbook focuses on the current status and development of national dementia strategies in Europe, detailing the content of the existing strategies, thereby providing a comparison between countries. There are currently 21 countries and regions with a dementia strategy, 2 countries whose governments have formally committed to the development of a strategy, two neurodegenerative strategies published and further work underway in other countries (Source: Alzheimer Europe)

The full publication is available to purchase from Alzheimer Europe

In the news:

OnMedica Number of people with dementia in Europe to almost double by 2050

NICEimpact dementia

NICE | February 2020 | NICEimpact dementia

Around 460,000 people in England are diagnosed with dementia. And it’s estimated that an additional 200,000 people are undiagnosed. The latest report from NICE  highlights progress made by the health and care system in implementing NICE guidance. We recognise that change can sometimes be challenging and may require pathway reconfiguration. Additional resources such as training and new equipment may also be required.

We work with partners including NHS England and NHS Improvement, Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Care Providers Alliance and Public Health England to support these changes, and we also look for opportunities to make savings by reducing ineffective practice (Source: NICE).

Read it online 

 

Hidden no more: Dementia and disability

All Party Parliamentary Group | June 2019 | Hidden no more: Dementia and
disability 

A new report from the All Party Parliamentary Group aims to shine a spotlight on dementia as a disability, to enable people with dementia to assert their rights to services and for their rights as citizens to be treated fairly and equally. Thousands of people who responded to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) inquiry agreed that they see dementia as a disability. But they told the APPG that society is lagging behind and failing to uphold the legal rights of people with dementia.  Within the report the All Party Parliamentary Group identify six key areas for action which have a direct impact on people’s daily lives, these are: 

Image source: alzheimers.org.uk

1. Employment
2. Social protection
3. Social care
4. Transport
5. Housing
6. Community life

Full details from the Alzheimer’s Society

World Alzheimer’s Day

Today, 21 September 2018, is World Alzheimer’s Day. Coinciding with this, Alzheimer’s Disease International have released  the World Alzheimer Report 2018: The State of the art of dementia research: New frontiers. 

Image source: http://www.alz.co.uk/

This report is written to be of appeal to a broad audience including governments and policymakers, academics and researchers and the general public with an interest in dementia.

Essentially the report is an overview of where we are currently: the hopes and frustrations, the barriers, the enablers and the ground-breaking work being undertaken.

 

The report’s key calls-to-action:

• Improving the sharing, using and disseminating of data and using registries in the best possible way.
• A minimum 1% of the societal cost of dementia to be devoted to funding research in: basic science, care improvements, prevention and risk reduction, drug development and public health.
• Attracting researchers and skill to the sector
• Increasing the scale of new research with the global ratio of publications on neurodegenerative disorders versus cancer at just 1:12
• Involvement of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the research process.
• Encouraging innovation, the use of technology and entrepreneurship.

Full report: World Alzheimer Report 2018

To support the 2018 World Alzheimer’s Month campaign, Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) in partnership with ITN Productions have released the documentary film below  ‘Every 3 seconds’ to help raise awareness of global impact of dementia:

 

Unheard Voices Of People With Dementia

Alzheimer’s Society warns of generations unprepared for astronomical dementia costs

This report contains the findings of a consultation with people affected by dementia. It reveals that nearly half of the UK adults questioned had not started saving for the care and support they might need in the future, and a third agreed that before being asked, they had not considered the cost of dementia care and support. It brings together the views of more than 3,850 people with dementia, carers and the public, in a series of in-depth interviews and face-to-face and online surveys.

Full report: Turning Up The Volume: Unheard Voices Of People With Dementia

Dementia care in care homes

image source: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

The Alzheimer’s Society has published Fix dementia care:  NHS and care homes.

image source: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk

This report marks the second phase of an Alzheimer’s Society campaign looking at the experiences of people with dementia in a range of health and care settings.  It contains the results of a survey of care home managers and the voices of people with dementia, their families and carers.  The report sets out recommendations for the government and NHS to improve the experiences of people with dementia in care homes.

Additional link: RCGP press release

 

Fix Dementia Care – Alzheimer’s Society

Alzheimer’s Society wants to ensure that people with dementia receive the highest standards of care wherever they are: in hospital, in a care home, or in the home. Our latest report has uncovered some shocking examples of dangerous and inadequate care in hospitals throughout England.

Hospitals have a duty to be transparent and accountable to their patients, and to continually monitor and improve dementia care.

While there are notable examples of excellent care across the country, the difference from one hospital to the next is far too great and there is inconsistent understanding of the needs of people with dementia.

Image source: Alzheimer’s Society

Our campaign is making the following recommendations to fix dementia care:

• All hospitals to publish an annual statement of dementia care, which includes feedback from patients with dementia, helping to raise standards of care across the country
• The regulators, Monitor and the Care Quality Commission to include standards of dementia care in their assessments

Image source: Alzheimer’s Society

Read the full report here