Dementia Care in Hospital

Opened the debate

My constituent Lisa Rutter, founder of Dementia Club UK, shared distressing experiences about her mother's treatment at Barnet Hospital during the COVID pandemic. Her mother was wrongly assessed as severely frail and denied mittens to prevent self-harm due to hospital policy. The debate highlighted issues such as inadequate care, communication barriers between carers and staff, feeding problems, and restrictions on visiting hours. Carers shared stories of loved ones deteriorating quickly in hospitals, lack of mobility support, and insufficient attention from medical personnel. The need for improved training for NHS staff, better volunteer programmes to advocate for dementia patients, and greater access for family visits was emphasised. A plea was made for increased resources for the NHS and social care to address these issues.

Government Response

The Minister thanked Theresa Villiers for raising important issues about dementia care in hospitals. She acknowledged the increasing number of people living with dementia, noting the challenges it presents. The Minister highlighted efforts to improve hospital environments, staff training, visitor access, discharge planning, and social care workforce strategies. She discussed initiatives such as Hospital at Home and the push to avoid unnecessary admissions. Funding for dementia research was also addressed, emphasising the Government's commitment to doubling investment in this area. The response acknowledged the need for better diagnosis rates and awareness of preventable risk factors for dementia. The Minister committed to ongoing work to ensure dignified treatment and improve care for those with dementia both inside and outside hospital settings.