Dementia cases going undiagnosed in lockdown

AS MANY as one in 16 pensioners in Leicestershire could have dementia - but cases are going undiagnosed in lockdown.

New figures from the NHS and Public Health England reveal that 8,884 people in the area aged 65 and over had a formal diagnosis of dementia as of the end of March this year.

That works out as 4.6 per cent of people who are past the age of retirement, but the true number of sufferers is thought to be much higher.

It is estimated as many as 12,150 people in Leicestershire could actually have dementia, based on the demographics of the area and the prevalence of the condition based on sex and age.

That works out as 6.3 per cent of the total population aged 65 and over. It means only 73 per cent of expected cases have been diagnosed - down from 76 per cent as of March 2019.

As the figure is for the end of March, it has been impacted by Covid19 - although PHE say it is not possible to quantify the impact at this time.

Charities warn the closure of memory services due to lockdown will likely mean diagnosis rates will fall even further as the year goes on.

Paul Edwards, director of clinical services at Dementia UK, said: “For people with dementia, getting a diagnosis still remains the best way forward for both them and their families to get access to appropriate support to help them plan for the future.

“While there is more awareness among families of the symptoms to look out for to help with a diagnosis (ie loss of communication, memory loss and difficulty doing tasks which used to be second nature) there is still wide variance in the quality and the availability of the support they can access.

“These issues have been heightened due to coronavirus.

“The pressure is now on the wider health and social care systems to create a joined-up system across the UK, which allows family to get comprehensive and consistent support from diagnosis to beyond.

“As lockdown eases, this is key to ensuring that no family with dementia gets left behind.”