Families ‘asked to shoulder too much responsibility for dementia care’

Families of dementia patients are being asked to do too much to provide care for their affected relatives, due to a lack of support from health and social care services.

This is according to a new report from the Alzheimer's Society, which interviewed 1,013 UK GPs and found that 77 percent of dementia sufferers rely on their families because of the failings of the current support system.

Half of the GPs polled think the NHS is doing too little to care for people with the condition, while more than two-thirds believe patients do not get enough provision from adult social services after a diagnosis.

By contrast, fewer than one in ten said people with dementia get enough statutory support to deal with loneliness and maintain a good diet, while only 27 percent believe the NHS and social services give people with dementia enough support to tackle anxiety and depression.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "With the number of people with dementia expected to grow to one million by 2021, there is no time to waste. Today's findings reinforce the urgency of putting in place meaningful care and support for all people with dementia."

Responding to the report, the Royal College of GPs called for more joined-up care provision across the NHS to ensure a consistently high standard of dementia care across the country.