Supporting a person in the later stages of dementia to live in their own
home is very challenging for all involved. As a result, Alzheimer’s Society
states that 283,000 people with dementia live in care homes, and dementia is
often one of the main reasons behind their move. As every care home operator
knows, dementia is more than just memory loss. The care of people with dementia
requires expertise and, often, specialist dementia care commands higher fees.
The opportunity to develop specialist dementia care homes is
significant. As people with dementia are living longer and with more complex
health conditions, their need for care is increasing. Alzheimer’s Society urges
that providing care to people with dementia must be the primary concern and
focus of the care home sector.
The well-publicised study by The Lancet in August 2017 predicts that
more than 70,000 care home places will be needed by 2025. Since it’s estimated
by Alzheimer’s Society that in excess of 80% of residents living in care homes
have significant memory issues or dementia, to meet this challenge the sector
is going to need 56,000 more dedicated dementia beds within eight years. The
question then is, ‘where’?
In order to build a detailed picture of local dementia provision,
Carterwood has launched a new dedicated dementia analysis. We have surveyed
more than 10,000 care homes and updated our comprehensive database through over
4,000 telephone interviews, covering private, not-for-profit and local
authority homes.
For any given location in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales,
as part of our improved market assessment report, we can now provide a unique
and comprehensive overview of the dementia competition and its quality.
If you want to be continually creative over time, you need a culture of
creativity and innovation.
Our new
data shows that today, around a quarter of older people’s care home beds are
dedicated to dementia, and circa 7,500 homes are registered to provide some
form of dementia care. This leaves around 4,200 homes not registered for
dementia.
The proportion of dedicated dementia beds is, however, gradually
increasing, with operators recognising there will soon be a shortfall of
dementia beds. Some 61% of homes for older people built since 2010, for
example, provide some form of dedicated dementia care, and 36% of all care home
beds built since 2010 are dedicated to people with dementia. Significantly, 37%
of all older people’s care homes registered for both frail and dementia care
offer a dedicated dementia unit.
What does dementia care look like?
Before we look at geographical differences and opportunities in dementia
provision, it’s important to first analyse in greater detail what dementia care
looks like in the UK.
A dedicated dementia environment not only provides a safe, therapeutic space
for residents living with dementia, but gives a home the added advantage of
enabling the other care home residents to have appropriate access to outside
space at all times.
Just 10% of care homes are entirely dedicated to older people with
dementia, and the average size of a dedicated dementia-only home built since
2010 is 47 beds.
While this proportion would need to increase in order to stay in touch
with the growing demand for dementia care, there will always be people who need
personal and nursing care. This generally makes mixed registration homes with a
dedicated unit more attractive for operators.
Availability of dementia beds
There is almost no difference in the availability of dementia beds in
rural versus urban locations, and the level of provision is evenly split
between private and not-for-profit operators. Perhaps not surprisingly, care
homes with nursing are almost twice as likely to contain specialist dementia
beds as personal care homes. Some 41% of care homes with nursing provide a form
of dedicated dementia care.
Furthermore, the larger the home, the more likely it is to cater for
dementia. The vast majority (83%) of homes with more than 60 beds registered
for dementia, for example, provide a dedicated unit within the home. The
average size of a dedicated unit is 27 beds, often occupying an entire floor.
Geographical differences in supply of dementia beds
If we analyse the geographical differences, it’s clear that while people
with dementia live throughout the UK, the current supply of dementia beds is
not evenly distributed. Notably, the South West has the lowest proportion of
total registered dementia beds at 21%, with Devon’s dementia beds accounting
for just 12.2%. In contrast, Northamptonshire’s proportion of dedicated
dementia beds tops the UK at 35.8%.
Demand and supply for dementia care also varies considerably depending
on the locality. In Hackney, for example, there are no homes providing any form
of dedicated dementia care. Travel 11 miles down the road to Barking and
Dagenham, and you’ll find 60% of beds can support residents with dementia. The
reasons behind local differences may stem from the profile of the local
population. Differences such as these most certainly reinforce the need for a
sound market understanding when deciding where best to locate a new specialist
dementia care home.
Opportunity for dementia provision
To a large extent, the local demand and dementia opportunity will also depend
on the quantity and quality of existing provision. Our dementia research,
combined with mystery shopping, means that for the first time we can build a
detailed picture of the local provision by answering questions such as: Is the
physical environment fit-for-purpose? Can people be cared for safely and
without undue restriction? Can people stay in the home for life, or will they
have to move on?
This information can be used to assist in planning a new development, or
to determine what changes could be made in the category of care being provided
in an existing home to meet local demand. According to Alzheimer’s Society,
approximately a third of family members have reported that the person with
dementia had moved since first going into care, the most common reason being an
increase in needs.
To conclude and answer the first question, ‘where’s best to locate a new
specialist dementia care home?’, you’ll need to appreciate that locational
differences, ranging from the age profile of a population to the existing and
planned dementia bed supply, can have a very significant impact on the success
of your new scheme. Obtaining market information specific to your shortlist of
preferred areas is an essential prerequisite for planning and due diligence.
SOURCE: CMM, Ben Hartley
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