1 in 6 hit by dementia as cases double
NEARLY one in six people in England have developed dementia by the time of their death, according to the latest figures.
A report by Public Health England shows that the number of people who died with dementia more than doubled in 13 years, from 6.6 per cent in 2001 to 15.8 per cent in 2014, the latest year for which records are available.
An estimated 850,000 people in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, with figures expected to rise to one million by 2025, and two million by 2050.
In 2014 there were a total of 73,189 deaths with a recorded mention of the condition.
Experts suspect the dramatic rise is partly to do with Britain’s ageing population, but an improvement in death records may have increased the figures. Hilary Evans, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘These figures underline an inescapable truth: that with no treatments to stop or slow the diseases that cause dementia, no-one survives a diagnosis.
‘With an ageing population, we have seen the numbers of people developing the condition increase over time, and current projections show this number will continue to grow unless new treatments or preventions can be found.
‘It’s likely that the rise in mentions of dementia on death certificates is also partly a reflection of changes in the approach to death records.
‘There is now greater understanding that dementia is caused by diseases that physically attack the brain, with diseases like Alzheimer’s now more likely to be acknowledged as a cause of death.’
The report, which uses data from the National Dementia Intelligence Network and National End of Life Care Intelligence Network, shows that only 8 per cent of people with dementia die at home, compared to 21 per cent of the general population aged over 65. The rest die in hospital or care homes.
Martina Kane, senior policy officer at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: ‘Everyone has the right to a dignified death in a place of their choosing, yet this report shows people with dementia are shamefully being treated as second class citizens.’