News Release, 4 July 2007
In response to the National Audit Office report, “Improving services and support for people with dementia”, Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation said:
“The findings of this report are deeply worrying. Research that we carried out almost a decade ago* showed the exact same problems - too few people receive an early dementia diagnosis, and GPs are not getting adequate training to help identify and manage the disease in patients. There has been very little progress made in the UK despite the fact that dementia prevalence rates are growing rapidly.
“There is a pressing need for significant investment in research, training and primary care services to ensure people receive a diagnosis and access to specialist care in the early stages.
“An early diagnosis enables a person to adjust, and gives them the opportunity to make their own choices while they have the capacity to do so. They should have the right to make the decision to appoint someone they trust to look after their finances and decisions relating to health, social care and housing. But without an early diagnosis, it’s just not going to happen.”
The Mental Health Foundation earlier this year published “Getting on with living”, a guide which focuses on the provision of information, social and emotional support (post-diagnosis) for people with dementia and their immediate supporters. The handbook is intended primarily for managers and senior practitioners in health and social care who are concerned with the setting up, operation and development of early dementia support services.
The charity has also produced three free guides about dementia, which cover all the basic facts a person needs to know and give advice on practical and emotional support, planning for the future and tips for coping.
Ends
* In 1997, the Mental Health Foundation was alerted to the inconsistency and variability of support available for people with dementia and their families, particularly in the early stages. In 1998, the charity commissioned a feasibility study to explore the potential of developing an early intervention project for people with dementia. It involved a review of early intervention services and a consultation exercise with a range of stakeholders, including older people with dementia and their families, health and social care service providers and primary care teams. The study found that despite the existence of widespread support for accessible advice and information services for people in the early stages of dementia, there was a paucity of such schemes. In particular, there was considerable interest in exploring ways of improving early diagnosis and in encouraging people in the early stages of dementia to come forward for support and diagnosis.
Notes to Editors:
For all media related enquires, please contact Simon Loveland on 020 7803 1130 or Fran Gorman on 020 7803 1128.
The Mental Health Foundation is the leading UK charity working to improve services for people with mental health problems. It is the only charity to fund and work with both service users and providers and plays an important role in funding research and new approaches to prevention, treatment and care.
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