CQC to inspect 150 care homes and hospitals in national review of dementia care

The Care Quality Commission will be inspecting 150 care homes and acute hospitals to examine the quality of dementia care being provided for people living in these settings.

The announcement comes as G8 ministers, charities and researchers come together at the first dementia summit, where they will be working to find a cure for the disease and understand how to improve the stigma attached to dementia and Alzheimer’s.

The themed CQC inspections will be focusing on the quality of dementia care being delivered across England.

Inspectors will analyse how people with dementia are supported to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing, and judge how care services can work together to provide continual high levels of care for people when moving between care services.

David Behan, CQC chief executive, said: “670,000 people in England are estimated to have dementia and the number is expected to double over the next three decades. We know that these people are often vulnerable because of their condition and can rely on a number of services across health and social care to support their physical, mental and social wellbeing.

"This is the first time that CQC has undertaken a review, which specifically looks at the care services that people with dementia use and rely on. It will address the key issues that these people face, such as why admissions to hospital from care homes are higher for people who have dementia compared to those who do not have the condition.

“There is a real need to explore why people with dementia may not be receiving high quality care, as well as how the different services work together.”

Inspectors will be looking at how effective delivery of care can decrease hospital admissions from people living in care homes and minimise unnecessarily long stays for those receiving hospital treatment.

Davina Ludlow, director of carehome.co.uk, the leading guide to care homes, welcomed the new review and said: “Dementia is an epidemic which is spiralling out of control.

“The vast majority of care homes out there provide the highest quality of care to residents living with the condition.

“However, we welcome the steps taken by the Government and the CQC to tackle this national crisis by reviewing the current care system."

CQC wants to hear from people with dementia, or the relatives and friends of people with dementia, and their carers about their experiences, such as of moving between hospitals and care homes (for both emergency and non-emergency admissions). These will inform part of the commentary for the national report.

They can do this on CQC’s website or through Age UK, Dementia Action Alliance, Regional Voices, Dementia Advocacy Network and the Race Equality Foundation.

“It is vital we all come together to make beating dementia a priority.” The G8 dementia summit can be followed for the rest of day on the website: http://dementiachallenge.dh.gov.uk/