Saving enough money to cover the cost of dementia care for a typical patient would now take 125 YEARS

It would take more than a century for a patient to save enough to pay the typical cost of dementia care, a report warns.

They would need to save £800 a year for 125 years to reach

The Alzheimer’s Society, which carried out the study, warns the cost of social care is leaving families destitute and is calling on the next government to create a ‘long-term, sustainable system’ to fund it.

A poll of more than 2,300 adults aged 16 to 75 for the charity also found that 47 per cent have not started saving for the care they might need in the future.

Rob Burley, director of policy at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘People affected by dementia have had to empty their bank accounts and sell their home to foot a tremendous bill for social care. 

'This is simply not fair. Other diseases are supported by the NHS, yet people with dementia fall into a void and feel abandoned by the state.

‘A caller to our helpline told us how they had to borrow money for food from friends and family because all their pension was being drained on care home top-up fees.

‘Successive governments have shirked this issue. On behalf of people with dementia, I challenge the next government to create a long-term, sustainable system for funding dementia care.’

On average dementia patients live for five years.

The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that three years of care at home costs about £39,000. Sufferers are then likely to need two years in a care home, costing £62,000.

People would need to save £800 a year for 125 years to reach the £100,000 experts say it now costs to live comfortably with dementia for five years. 

The charity also based its calculations on the assumption that people could save £800 a year – the average sum they put aside for their pension.

One family said they spent more than £500,000 over ten years on dementia care after they were found to be ineligible for state-funded help.

Judith Jordan, 48, from Ashtead in Surrey, initially cared for her mother, Joan, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her early 60s. Aged 65, she moved into a care home and cashed in stocks, shares, her husband’s life insurance and her pension to fund her care.

She could not move properly, suffered bedsores and epilepsy, and could not speak for the last five years of her life.

But despite five assessments for state funding, she was repeatedly ruled ineligible.

When she died in August 2016 aged 76, Joan weighed just over 63lb and was paying £4,000 a month for her care.

Mrs Jordan said: ‘My mum ended up spending over £500,000 on her dementia care.

‘She would be devastated to know her money was gone and she could only leave her grandchildren a fraction of what she had hoped.’

SOURCE: Ben Spencer, Daily MailOnline

There are so many of these very sad situations coming into the spotlight very regularly now, how dire does the situation need to become to ensure positive action?

Two knee operations can’t stop care home resident Vanda Norgate from cycling 21 miles for MS Awareness Trust

A nursing home resident who has undergone two knee operations cycled 21 miles on a static machine during a fund-raising week.

Residents and staff at Meadow House nursing home in Swaffham took part in challenges to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and funds for the MS Awareness Trust.

Staff arranged activities for residents, their relatives and day centre service users.

They ran bingo games, held a raffle, sang karaoke and held a coffee morning. The main challenge was a static bike ride.

Between them, the residents and service users, many of whom live with severe physical challenges, cycled 102 miles.

Resident Vanda Norgate, who has recently had two knee operations, cycled 21 miles.

In total, £500 was raised.

SOURCE: Eastern Daily Press, Adam Lazzari

Isnt this great? Getting together socially and to raise funds for a good cause, what a team effort!

In-home care of dementia patients falls mainly on women

As the population ages, a surge in patients with dementia will place an inordinate burden on working women, risking “hard-fought gains for equality in the workplace,” according to Stanford researchers.

By 2030, it is estimated that 8.4 million Americans will have some form of dementia. Stanford researchers say that currently the responsibility of caring for people with dementia falls largely on female relatives.

The responsibility of providing care to the vast number of patients with dementia expected over the next 20 years will disproportionately fall on working women, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

“The best long-term care insurance in our country is a conscientious daughter,” the authors wrote in a perspective piece published May 8 in JAMA Neurology. The article points to a lack of affordable in-home care options in the United States other than unpaid family members, primarily women.

As more baby boomers reach retirement age, experts predict a corresponding surge in cases of dementia: By 2030, an estimated 8.4 million Americans are expected to be suffering from some form of the disease.

Today, most of the care for these patients — 83 percent — is provided by unpaid family members, two-thirds of whom are women, the authors wrote.

“Wives are more likely to care for husbands than vice versa, and daughters are 28 percent more likely to care for a parent than sons,” the authors wrote, adding that because women now make up almost 50 percent of the workforce, these burgeoning demands will disproportionately fall on them — and put them at higher risk for lowering or exiting their career trajectory.

“Hard-fought gains toward equality in the workplace are at risk,” they wrote.

Concern about this troubling health care dilemma grew out of research by a team of design fellows at Stanford’s Clinical Excellence Research Center. They were investigating ways to provide better care at lower costs for patients with dementia and other cognitive disorders.

“As our CERC fellows dug below the surface of dementia care, they detected a growing threat to health equity and tangible opportunities for action by policymakers and clinicians,” said co-author Arnold Milstein, MD, professor of medicine and director of CERC.

“I have a very personal history with this topic,” said Clifford Sheckter, MD, a CERC fellow and co-author of the article. “My grandmother, my mom’s mom, got dementia when I was in college at UCLA. I remember my mom having to leave work two to three times a day to come home — whether my grandma had taken a fall or was calling my mom on the phone and screaming, it was relentless. It was so hard on my mom.”

The authors noted that while caregiving for loved ones with dementia can certainly be meaningful, the amount of time required — an average of 171 hours per month, according to the article — combined with the unpredictability of the job’s demands and unrelenting tasks, such as toileting and bathing, can be overwhelming. The article also asserts that “it’s not likely that men will step up and share in the caregiving anytime soon.”

If nothing is done to plan for this shift in caregiving demands, not only will women and their families suffer, an increase in costs will fall on employers from absenteeism, productivity loss, stress-related disability claims and health benefits plan spending, the article said.

“I come in contact with these patients often,” said co-author Nicholas Bott, PsyD, a neuropsychologist and CERC fellow. “When you’re working with a patient who has this disease, you are also working with the family. It raises tensions for the entire family unit. It causes friction in the relationships. You end up doing a lot of triage for the family members.”

The article was written to sensitize physicians to the demands on family members caring for patients with dementia, the need to educate families about what will be required and the importance of referring them to caregiver support service, Milstein said.

It’s kind of sad, but in our country we don’t do anything about caregiving for patients with dementia.

“We hope to help clinicians see what kind of change in policy their advocacy might enable,” he said.

The authors also pointed to the role that employers could play in alleviating the strain of caregiving demands by adopting family-leave policies similar to Deloitte LLP, an international accounting and consulting firm that in August began offering employees up to 16 fully paid weeks to care for a family member, including aging family members.

“A six-week paid leave provided by employers, similar to family leave for new parents, would help caregivers to adjust to the new situation,” Bott said. Federal tax subsidies allowing corporations to deduct the period of paid family leave may further help incentivize employers, the authors wrote.

Sheckter said with more support — from physicians, social services and particularly his mother’s employer — perhaps his grandmother could have continued to live at home. But eventually, overwhelmed by caregiving and work demands, his mother was forced to put his grandmother into a long-term care home, where she passed away.

“It’s kind of sad, but in our country we don’t do anything about caregiving for patients with dementia,” he said.

 SOURCE: Stanford Medicine, Tracie White

Getting lost could be the first sign of Alzheimer's - and may show up decades before disease is diagnosed, say researchers

Getting lost could be an early sign that Alzheimer's disease might affect you later in life, according to new research.

The Prevent project, based at Edinburgh University, aims to understand early biological and clinical markers to identify risks in young people and to help prevent Alzheimer's and dementia.

The study, funded by the Alzheimer's Society, suggests that poor navigational skills could be

Getting lost could be an early sign that Alzheimer's disease might affect you later in life, according to new research.

'Alzheimer's is considered to be a disease of memory but we now think from our early work that the difficulty people are really having – at least to begin with – is not to do with declining memories but to do with their declining ability to visualise the location of objects or themselves,' said Karen Ritchie, one of the researchers, according to The Guardian. 

She added: 'They are losing their ability to navigate.'

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK, according to the NHS. 

Dementia is a progressive neurological disease which affects multiple brain functions, including memory.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK, according to the NHS.

The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown, although a number of things are thought to increase your risk of developing the condition. 

These include:

• increasing age

• a family history of the condition

• previous severe head injuries

• lifestyle factors and conditions associated with cardiovascular disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms develop gradually and become more severe over the course of several years. 

SOURCE: Mailonline, Harvey Day

'I thought I was bulletproof' says headteacher diagnosed with Alzheimer's aged 55

Keith Oliver, a successful and respected head teacher, is one of 42,000 people in the UK living with early onset dementia. On New Year's Eve in 2010, aged just 55, his life was turned upside down when doctors confirmed 'the unknown'.

Since then, Mr Oliver has campaigned tirelessly for Alzheimer’s Society, and has published a book called 'Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk'; the story of his life before, during and after the diagnosis.

By keeping busy, Mr Oliver believes it is the only way to face the disease that brought his 35-year teaching career to an abrupt end.

He told homecare.co.uk: "For the past seven years, I have been sharing my brain with an unwelcome and unwanted guest; Dr. Alzheimer. It stays with me 24/7. Sometimes in the background, watching and waiting for an opportunity to make mischief and sometimes leading me up a pathway where I do not seek to go.

"I am reminded of Princess Diana who said there were 'three in her marriage'. My wife Rosemary and I, and the many thousands of other people with young onset dementia know who this third insidious member of the triad is; Dr Alzheimer."

When doctors gave the diagnosis, the father-of-three, who had a distinguished teaching career and was in the process of studying for an MA in education, was forced to accept he could no longer lead Canterbury’s biggest primary school.

Mr Oliver began experiencing a series of unexplained falls, suffered with fatigue and had a general feeling of being unwell. He also experienced numerous challenges at work with regards to meeting deadlines, answering the telephone and retrieving and retaining information.

"We thought maybe it was an ear infection at first, and although a GP examined my ears and said there was no sign of an infection, he gave me some antibiotics just in case."

After no improvement, Mr Oliver went back to the doctor who carried out further investigations.

Following an MRI scan and a neurologist appointment to rule out a brain tumour, Mr Oliver was referred to a memory clinic for what turned out to be an in-depth six-month assessment period which culminated with a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

"It just wasn’t on our radar," he revealed. "We came away completely shaken. I thought I was bulletproof. No one, especially someone in their 50s wants to be diagnosed with dementia but because of the impact the disease was having on me by way of my ability to undertake my work, there was some peace of mind in knowing what the cause of these problems was."

During the diagnosis period, Mr Oliver was supported by a professional team who explained the results of the tests, which at best he was performing at average and at his worst at the lower fifth centile.

"I wanted information and I needed to understand what I was living with, and subsequently this served to allow me to come to terms with moving from a suggested diagnosis to a confirmed one, and then to begin to live as well as possible with dementia," he said.

Determined to see things through, Mr Oliver chose to confide in only a couple of his closest colleagues, while his wife would collect him at lunchtimes so he could have a quick nap in the car.

But on 1 April 2011, his teaching career came to an end and he took early retirement from Blean Primary School.

Mr Oliver may be a natural optimist, but there is no disguising the realities of living with what he calls the "wretched condition."

He needs care from his wife, who is supported by an Admiral Nurse, when the 'fog' of dementia descends upon his mind.

"There are certain 'sunny' days when I feel I am coping and there are 'foggy' days when I tend to withdraw into myself," he said. "It is extremely frustrating and it makes me angry that I am not better able to deal with it."

In 2014, Alzheimer’s Society estimated that 42,325 people in the UK are living with a diagnosis of early onset dementia.

It is a degeneration of the brain that causes a progressive decline in people’s ability to think, reason, communicate and remember. Personality, behaviour and mood can also be affected.

"I had the typical impression that dementia was solely the domain of the elderly," revealed Mr Oliver. "My mother developed Alzheimer's in her mid-70s and she was typical of how I imagined people with the condition.

"Alzheimer’s made my mother totally immobile. She lost her memory of how to move even though cognitively some of her memory wasn’t too bad. I know that for me is a problem by the way of balance and by way of mobility."

He added: "Something I have also noticed particularly in the last five or six months is that there has been a heightening of my emotions when engaged in either a book, film or TV programme which previously I would have had an emotional attachment too and enjoyed, but now I am in floods of tears.

"Your emotional intelligence becomes more fundamental than your actual cognitive intelligence. It’s partly remembering, but it’s more significant, it’s what you take away from that experience or that conversation or that person even. The content of the conversation is simply gone; but the way one has felt in that moment has been retained."

In April 2016, Mr Oliver began writing his book 'Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk'.

It covers the story of his life before, during and since receiving his diagnosis, told also by those who know him best, including health professionals, friends and family.

He hopes his story will help others who find themselves in the same situation as him, as well as raise awareness of the condition.

"I feel I have a window of opportunity to speak to people about dementia and to feel as though I can make a contribution to raising public awareness," he said.

"One of the reasons my health has maintained a reasonably good level is my determination to try and live life positively, to do things which I enjoy and find interesting and to live life to the full.

"Dementia's best friend is apathy, because if you give in to it and think 'it's got the better of me,' you cannot live life as fully as possible. Then it does get the better of you."

SOURCE: homecare.co.uk, Melissa McAlees

New care home will have a pub, corner shop and a hair salon

Eighty new jobs will be created at new home, which will include a hair salon, shop and a pub. Building is already underway on the £8m bespoke 75-bedroom home off Pearson Avenue, which is due to be finished in November.

Adept Care Homes received funding for the development from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Dave Lock, managing director at Adept Care Homes, said: "With the build on track, we're starting the recruitment process to ensure we have the right team in place to make the new house a home.

"We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of our experienced home manager, Claire Chorwell, and we are now looking for carers as well as staff to form the housekeeping team."

The company runs a further seven care homes across the UK.

The home's 75 en-suite bedrooms will be situated within five care suites. Each suite will have its own lounge and dining facilities together with a lifestyle kitchen.

Facilities will include large en-suite bedrooms, a cinema, pub, corner shop and hair salon. Residents will also have access to sensory gardens complete with an aviary.

"We are now completing the ground floor of this exciting new project, our eighth home in the Midlands," added Mr Lock. "We are looking forward to providing superb care for residents and a great working environment for the care team at our first Nottinghamshire home."

Kenny Nelson, relationship director at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: "The plans for the Chilwell care home are very impressive and I am pleased that we have been able to support Adept Care Homes with funding for the development.

"In addition to the high standard of care the company are known to provide, the new facility will ensure that residents are able to live comfortably and in a fun and stimulating environment."

Anna Kobas, 36, of Beeston, who works in a sandwich shop in Chilwell Road, Beeston, said: "Eighty jobs is definitely good for the area. It's good to see more employment. I'm not sure about the hairdressers as there's already quite a lot in that area.

SOURCE: Nottingham Post, Gemma Toulson

Isnt it great that care companies are really thinking about exciting new projects to stimulate residents? 

Greenock family’s ‘devastating’ dementia diagnosis

A BRAVE daughter has told how her mum was diagnosed with dementia at only 53 years old.

Greenock woman Carrie Ann Sheekey has spoken out about the devastating impact her mum Helen Leighton’s condition has had on their family and the difficulties they have faced.

Mum-of-two Carrie is now taking on the charity Kiltwalk for the third year in a row in a bid to help raise more awareness and fund research into the disease.

Three years after she was finally diagnosed, her mum Helen now needs round-the-clock care.

She has spent the last two months in hospital and will now be going into a nursing home.

Along with step-dad Malcolm, Carrie Ann is determined to carry on fighting for Helen and hopes to help other families who are suffering as well.

Carrie Ann, 35, a support worker for care organisation Turning Point Scotland said: “When my mum was diagnosed with early onset dementia we realised that there was very little for her.

“All the other services are geared towards people much older than her.

“It came as a shock to us all how little is out there.

“My mum had been having tests for years but because she was so young it took a long time to get there.

“But she finally had a CAT scan which revealed shrinkage in the brain and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Carrie Ann and her step-dad first started noticing changes in Helen as far back as 2009.

Care worker Carrie, of Stafford Road, said: “It started with forgetting things like her keys. But she would leave her car somewhere and then we would spend hours looking for it.

“At first the doctors thought it was depression. My mum had to deal with two losses in a short space of time, when my grandad died and then my mum lost her best friend.

“They thought it was the grieving process and then depression. Her symptoms were very close to anxiety.

“My mum definitely knew something was wrong. Her personality started to change.”

As a result of spending so much time researching possible causes and dealing with the impact of her mother’s illness, Carrie Ann decided she wanted to become a mental health professional.

She added: “I did so much research into mental health as I tried to find out what was wrong with my mum that I decided I wanted to be a nurse.

“I am now in my third year at Caledonian University.

“I have found it hard at times. When I am on dementia wards it feels too close to home.”

Helen, now 56, also worked as a carer for Quarriers and Inverclyde Council.

Carrie Ann said: “My mum was so kind and caring. She is very sensitive and that made her a great carer.”

Together Carrie Ann and Malcolm have cared for Helen every step of the way. Malcolm, 54, who has been married to Helen for 18 years, said: “The only word for it is devastating, absolutely devastating.

“I am lucky because I am young enough to care for Helen.”

Malcolm, who also worked as a carer, has had to give up his job but because Helen is under 65 she is not entitled to free personal care.

He said: “We just wouldn’t be able to afford the cost of the care. It is something that affects so many people.”

Carrie Ann’s charity walk will raise money to help other local families who have to face up to the devastating impact of dementia.

She said: “All the money I raise will go towards the Inverclyde branch of Alzheimer’s Scotland so that there can be more services for people with early onset dementia.”

Courageous Carrie Ann will be supported on the 23-mile Kiltwalk trek from Glasgow to Balloch onSunday by her husband Andrew, 37, and her two children Aidan, 12,  and Molly, 10.

Step dad Malcolm said: “I am so proud of Carrie Ann and everything that she does for her mum.” 

SOURCE: Greenock Telegraph, Susan Lochrie