The prog highlighted so many issues about management of Dementia. What concerns me is the fact that patients with dementia have to go into private care homes, council one's don't exist, yet it's the state that provides so much of the income. Privatise and the care ethos gets turned upsidedown, profits always come before care. Council or state run places are better regulated and the training and regulation is statutory and mandatory, staff turnover isn't an issue, care far better in my experience. So, if you need residential elderly care you have access to a good standard of care, if you have established dementia you have to go to the private sector, two-tier healthcare provision? Shouldn't all people who need care be offered the same standards within their chosen locality. Shouldn't the benchmark standards have parity within the 2 care sectors? Are they set too low for the private sector to achieve a ticked box?
With the growing dementia issue within our lifetime, I would never wish to see Dignitas etc anything other than what it is now. The attitude of some around here to 'get rid of nutty wrinklies' disheartens me, they all have a right to the best care for the remainder of their lives. I really feel families should do more (I know I'm over-simplifying) and the possibility of 'fostering' the elderly and those with dementia, maintaining their skills and encouraging abilities in small scale homes. On the BBC2 prog we saw the quality (and profitability) of that approach, encouraged by younger carers to do everyday tasks, dementia patients often go into care due to elderly spouses being unable to care, social support is grossly lacking. Needs to be thought differently.
Right that's enough, it's emotive and there's too much to sort out.
