Dementia patients fit to be discharged were kept in hospital for three extra weeks (Image: GETTY)
New data has revealed the extent of delays patients with dementia face when trying to be discharged from hospital.
Data showed that around 24% of people aged 65 and over facing a delayed discharge were believed to have dementia.
Almost a third of those who were kept in hospital at least three weeks longer than necessary were believed to have dementia. Alzheimer’s Society estimates this adds up to 584,000 bed days and hundreds of millions of pounds in NHS costs over a year.
Delayed discharge happens when a patient is medically fit to be sent back home but can’t go home due to other reasons. The research showed rates of delayed discharge from hospital has been steadily rising since the pandemic.
These delays are often the result of poor planning and availability of appropriate, dementia-related follow-on support from health and social care services, according to the charity.
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Using NHS England data analysed by HSJ Information and Alzheimer’s Society, the report is urging for dementia care to be made a priority on the road to tackling extreme pressures within the NHS.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said: “The system is not working for people with dementia and I am very grateful for the important work Alzheimer’s Society is doing to bring this issue to light. Social care should be seen as a critical partner to the NHS, receiving the funding needed to deliver the best outcomes for people living with dementia.”
Staying in hospital unnecessarily in these cases increases the bottleneck for beds in the UK while also increasing a patient’s risk for complications according to Alzheimer’s Society.
People with dementia also face even greater risk from extended hospital stays as they’re more likely to struggle in an unfamiliar and stressful environment like a hospital ward.
They also face a higher risk of falls, infections, worsening cognitive function, malnutrition and dehydration while staying in hospital longer than necessary.
Michelle Dyson CB, Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s Society said: “Every year, the NHS faces extreme winter pressures and we see time and time again the struggle to cope with the numbers of people needing urgent care.
”It is clear from these figures that dementia is a key part of the puzzle. People living with dementia are being left stranded in hospital, which is neither good for them nor the NHS.
“Tackling dementia care and support would make a huge difference to the NHS’s ability to cope at this time of year. Early diagnosis and access to appropriate services can help to prevent hospital admissions in the first place, while better care and support would also mean those in hospital could leave when they are well enough.
”The Government has a once-in-a-decade opportunity to fix this as it prepares its new blueprint for dementia health and social care, the Modern Service Framework. Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and the greatest challenge facing health and social care services.
”The new plan must rise to the magnitude of the challenge, improving care to keep people healthier for longer and ultimately reduce the devastation caused by dementia.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
