Focus on Dementia Report: Prevention, Slowing Disease and Precautions

Focus on Dementia Report 2016.

The Focus on Dementia Report says that Alzheimer’s drugs prescriptions are six times higher than a decade ago.

HSCIC reports that the number of prescriptions dispensed in England for approved medicines to treat Alzheimer’s increased from 502,000 in 2004 to 3 million in 2014. The cost to the NHS of prescriptions for Alzheimer’s disease medicines dispensed in primary care stood at £45.7m in 2014. This was up from £42.8m in 2004, but down from the high point it reached in 2011 of £110.8m.

Worse still, the proportion of people who had a diagnosis of dementia in their GP record rose from 643 per 100,000 people in April 2014 to 755 people per 100,000 in December 2015. That is a jump of well over 17%. Ingrid McCleave, former Head of Legal at Eastbourne Law Solicitors says “a diagnosis of early stage Alzheimers does not necessarily mean that it is too late to put sound Legal Planning in place.  If it happens to your or a loved one, and they have not taken proper legal precautions, please do call us at the earliest possible moment.” (01323 406299.)

The statistics are published today as part of the Focus On Dementia report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), pulling together in one place for the first time a range of information on dementia including statistics on diagnosis, prescribing, social care, mental health and lifestyle trends. The report also shows:

For those over 65, the highest rate of diagnosis is in the South of England, closely followed by the North. The Midlands is a further 9% or so lower. London has a diagnosis rate almost 40% lower than the South. I haven’t had the time to find out why the figures are so wildly different but for those of you with more time, I do recommend reading the Focus on Dementia report, which was issued in January 2016.

39 percent of carers who looked after someone with dementia spent 100 or more hours each week doing so in 2014/15. Over half (51 percent) of carers had been in this role for more than five years.

Responsible statistician Jonathan Hope said: “Our ageing population means that the way we diagnose, treat and care for people with dementia will be increasingly important to many of

Stephen Pett of Allied Law Ltd added “The report in effect emphasises the urgent requirement for both types of Lasting Powers of Attorney as part peoples Legal Planning is sadly rising.  There can be no excuse for recommending only the Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney and not the Health and Welfare one as well.

That is why we offer significantly reduced fees when clients have both types prepared at the same time. The Court of Protection is not keen to allow others to take Health and Welfare decisions where the person concerned has not made provision.  So Social Services tend to have the upper hand.”

See also ways of reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.

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