The UK government has announced that it is set to spend 50 million pounds helping specialist dementia care homes and wards
The spending plan was announced on the 25th October 2012 by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Up to £50 million will be available to NHS Trusts and local authorities working in partnership with social care providers to help tailor hospitals and care homes to the needs of those with dementia. The money will be used to expand the range of care services offering dedicated dementia friendly environments, and to promote further use of design techniques to help the growing number of people with dementia get the best possible care.
Projects that can show they can help keep dementia sufferers calm and relaxed as well as providing ways to help confusion in the person will be helped to create environments that will help dementia patients.
Researchers have found that a persons environment plays a big part in helping a person with the condition to avoid confusion and often aggression. Some of the ways a sufferer can be helped is with such things as day/night clocks, kitchen cupboards and white goods such as fridges having glass fronted doors, bright lighting and signage of rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Every project that is undertaken will involve input from dementia patients, their families and carers with the design of the new facilities
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:
“Being one of the best for dementia is a priority for this Government, and doing what we can to help people with the condition feel more safe and secure in their environment is an important part of this.
“Responding with dignity and compassion to dementia is the only sensible reaction to the urgent challenges we face as our population ages.
The funding will be used to adapt care homes and hospitals using design principles proven by Kings Fund pilots to help people with dementia overcome common problems associated with the condition, such as wandering and anxiety, and enable people to move around safely without confusion.
Research by The King’s Fund revealed that cluttered ward layouts and poor signage in hospitals and care homes were the top reasons for causing confusion and distress in people with dementia.
Taking steps such as using a particular colour scheme, creating a designated quiet space or establishing a gardening patch designed significantly helped to reduce patient distress and assisted with the management of the condition.
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You can see the full press release on the Department of Health website here
