Alzheimer’s UK report finds that soaring dementia care costs have reached £42 billion in UK
Alzheimer’s Society is calling on the Government to make dementia a priority and urgently fix diagnosis as just 1.4 per cent of dementia healthcare costs are spent on diagnosis and treatment, with families shouldering 63 per cent of the costs.
This Dementia Action Week, which takes place from 13-19 May 2024, new research has revealed that the cost of dementia in the UK has now reached £42 billion per year. This figure is set to rise to £90 billion by 2040 unless urgent action is taken.
The charity commissioned one of the largest UK studies on the economic impact of dementia. The research was undertaken by Carnall Farrar using the records of 26,000 people, dating back seven years.
It also showed that as the disease progresses, total costs increase significantly, rising from £29,000 per year for mild dementia to £81,000 for severe dementia.
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer and almost one million people are living with the condition. Yet it is estimated that a third of people affected have not received a diagnosis.
Despite the evidence of benefits of an early and accurate dementia diagnosis, spending on diagnosis makes up less than 1.4 per cent of the total health care expenditure. The majority of costs come from social care and unpaid care.
The lack of an early diagnosis means that families are left to pick up the pieces and results in catastrophic costs further down the line.
An ageing population means the number of the UK population with dementia will increase by 43% per cent by 2040, with the biggest increases in Northern Ireland and London and that urgent action is needed.
The study revealed that, in line with increasing numbers of people living with dementia, the need for unpaid care often provided by loved ones or friends will grow significantly by 2040 with 43 per cent more people expected to require unpaid care.
This is a major concern when already a third of unpaid carers spend more than 100 hours caring per week, and 16 per cent had to give up work to care.
Further research by Walnut Unlimited also found that only one per cent of people affected by dementia didn’t see the benefit of a diagnosis. However, lack of awareness, fragmented health and social care systems and workforce issues remain barriers to diagnosis.
Alzheimer’s Society is calling on the Government to increase access to early and accurate dementia diagnosis to help families avoid reaching costly, avoidable crisis point.
Kate Lee, Alzheimer’s Society CEO, said: “One in three people born today will develop dementia. It’s the biggest health and care issue of our time, yet it isn’t the priority it should be amongst decision-makers. We wouldn’t accept this for any other terminal disease, we shouldn’t accept this for dementia.
“One in three people with dementia do not have a diagnosis. They are facing dementia alone without access the vital care, support, and treatments. If we don’t address diagnosis, we have no hope of addressing the major dementia challenges we face and reducing the cost to the health service and wider economy.
“Dementia’s devastating impact is colossal – on the lives of those it affects, on the healthcare system and on the economy. Now is the time to prioritise dementia, and that starts with getting more people diagnosed.”
Vicky McClure MBE, actor and Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador, stated: “More needs to be done now to support people in getting a dementia diagnosis. Dementia can absolutely devastate families in so many ways but receiving an early diagnosis can be a lifeline for people to access the vital treatment and care they desperately need.”
In recent news, specialist furniture supplier Furncare announced that it had been awarded A1 & Gold Standard ratings for its dementia-friendly furniture range by the Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) at the University of Stirling.
