A lack of advice and service for dementia sufferers and the people who care for them has been condemned by Tony Hope, a Professor of Medical Ethics at Oxford University.
“When a person is diagnosed with cancer, a wide range of services can be accessed. This is not true in the case of dementia”, claimed Hope adding, “Many people with dementia receive little support once the initial diagnosis is made.”
A report on dementia published last month and chaired by Professor Hope, warned against a “‘tick-box’ culture” that “dehumanises the relationships and the care.” Hope also declared that “more information and support from professionals is needed… the Equality and Human Rights Commission should provide practical guidance.”
Dementia sufferers occupy one in four hospital beds, and eighty percent of nurses felt they needed more specialist advice, according to a survey of 1300 carers and 1100 nurses published last week by the Alzheimer’s Society.
