News / UK and world by Press Association April 25, 2018, 2:02 am Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Sign up to our Daily newsletter Hospitals are failing to notice that more than a third of dementia patients suffer from the condition, a new study has found. Researchers said that it is important for hospitals to spot dementia in patients so they can be treated appropriately and discharged safely. Dementia patients are frequently admitted to hospital for other ailments, often due to them not being able to care for themselves properly. The study, led by experts from University College London (UCL), tracked patients who were diagnosed with dementia and subsequently admitted to various general hospitals for a reason other than their dementia. Hospitals failed to note dementia on more than a third of case notes in 2016 among patients who had been diagnosed with the condition in the year preceding their hospital admission. However, this was an improvement from 2008 when hospitals failed to recognise a dementia diagnosis in more than half of sufferers, according to the study which has been published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal Of The Alzheimer’s Association. “People with dementia are more likely to be admitted to general hospitals for other illnesses, partly due to difficulties taking care of themselves and once they’re in hospital, those with dementia tend to have longer stays and face more complications,” said lead author Dr Andrew Sommerlad, a Wellcome Trust research fellow from UCL’s division of psychiatry. “Hospital… [Read full story]
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