Dementia is in the news again.
I for one am very pleased about this, although a bit dubious about the way it is going at the moment. The current focus appears to be on anti-psychotics and their use:
However, is that really the issue when the following has happened?
http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/GP/LatestNews/821058/Experts-criticise-DoH-lack-dementia-research/
And it's not particular to the United Kingdom either:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/18/2278403.htm
Meanwhile this is happening in my old back-yard:
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/3171204.Ulverston_dementia_unit_could_be_scrapped/
And other parts of the country:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=20896997
As I've mentioned before (http://fairplay.blog.co.uk/2008/04/30/treating-your-elders-4112472) this is a complex problem. It is not just about sedatives, it's not just about lack of homes for people with dementia, it's not just about the appalling lack of funding given to dementia when more glamorous problems (heart, cancer and children) get the lionshare. It's about all these things. And it needs more than a government dying in the eyes of healthcare workers to focus on single issues and bland-ities to improve the situation.
This goes to the crux about what we want from society, about how we care for our elders and the changing nature of families in Britain today.
For some discourse on this see the to-ing and fro-ing at: http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/.
26/06/08 @ 18:11