Under-65 dementia care hit by ‘void’

FAMILIES ARE being “devastated” by a “void” in care provided for people who develop dementia under the age of 65, according to a leading nurse.

Fiona Chaabane has been appointed as the first dedicated nurse in the UK to co-ordinate care for patients living with younger onset brain disorders.

Ms Chaabane, who is based at Southampton General Hospital, said: “Diagnosing dementia in younger people is a challenge in itself as symptoms are often attributed initially to stress or depression but, once a diagnosis has been made, the services these patients then require either don’t exist or are fragmented.

“We are currently in a situation where older people’s mental health services are focused on those aged 65 and over, while adult mental health services don’t necessarily have the specific skills and experience to meet the needs and complexities of dementia in younger people. What that leaves us with is a gaping void which those with younger onset dementia are falling into and it is devastating families nationwide.”

More than 40,000 people in the UK are estimated to have been diagnosed with younger onset dementia.

Ms Chaabane said the majority were “squeezed” into more mainstream services that may lack the expertise or experience in managing the condition.

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common type. The decline in brain function affects memory and reasoning, but also physical abilities.

Yinglen Butt of the Royal College of Nursing said: “It’s estimated that by 2025, more than one million people will be living with dementia in the UK, so how we care for people with dementia needs to be transformed.”