Dementia patient care criticised

[ccharles000]

Hospital stays for people with dementia are far longer than for patients being treated for the same injury or illness but without dementia, it is claimed.

The Alzheimer's Society says patients with dementia occupy a quarter of hospital beds and the majority leave in a worse state than when they arrive.

It wants their stays cut by a week, saying it will save millions of pounds.

The government said it had already asked NHS hospitals to take urgent action on this issue.

The Alzheimer's Society blames longer stays on a lack of communication, which can exacerbate problems associated with dementia, such as incontinence.

It says there is a need for better clinical leadership, training of nurses to deal with dementia patients and better co-ordination of support services to allow the patient to come out of hospital.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8359836.stm

[patrice]

1. Someday when it hurts a little less, I will tell you what happened to my MIL when she began showing

signs of Dementia.

[MUAD_DIB]

2. My dad is going through the later stages now.

[patrice]

3. Small things can make such a huge difference to our Elders.

She was a pioneering business woman in her role as the PR go-to for a metro-area Chamber of Commerce and a Republican delegate to the convention that nominated Eisenhower, though it did little or nothing for her financially and she ended her years in a "low end" nursing facility.

I wish she had had a little more time to adjust to the changes in her mental capacities.

[Crunchy Frog]

4. That happened to my mother's SO.

He had a hospital stay that was tripled in length due to his being given three seperate inappropriate medications. The doctor who was "caring" for him absolutely didn't give flying fuck what happened to him.

His dementia wasn't even that bad, at least not until after they got through with him. :(

[patrice]

5. Such cute little Froggies!

I'm jealous.

:hi: