DEMENTIA sufferers lack proper care because the illness is not recognised as a terminal diagnosis.
A NEW report has highlighted the issues faced by dementia sufferers in the late stages of their lives and the barriers to the high-quality care they require.
The report, by Marie Curie, which is a UK charity for the terminally-ill, and the Alzheimer’s Society, addressed the terminal nature of the illness, calling it “the forgotten aspect of what has been referred to as a ‘silent epidemic'”. “The issue is system-wide, there are so many opportunities for people to fall through the gaps,” said Phil McCarvill, head of policy and public affairs, at Marie Curie. The report said: “To date, much of the focus has been on living well with dementia, with little focus on the experiences of people with dementia nearing the end of their lives. “We must ensure a stronger focus on the inevitable conclusion of what is a progressive, terminal condition. “Those with dementia will die (whether directly as a result of dementia or of another co-existing condition) and we must improve the care of people in the later stages of dementia.” This comes as the Alzheimer’s Society suggested around 225,000 people in the UK will develop dementia this year, equivalent to one person every three minutes. The report said that because dementia is not often seen as a terminal diagnosis it can lead to poor access to care, inconsistent quality of care and inadequate pain management. These problems involve inconsistencies in care standards and inappropriate hospital admissions as well as poor access to palliative care, hospice care and funding.