FT Health
Business & Dementia
FT SPECIAL REPORT
Wednesday September 18 2019 http://www.ft.com/reports | @ftreports
Detection
Researchers seek ways
to tackle problems of
underdiagnosis
Page 3
Inside
Employment
How can business do
more to accommodate
workers with a dementia
diagnosis?
Page 2
Dementia kit
New products are
helping people stay at
home for longer
Page 3
Demand your rights
People with dementia
are rarely afforded the
same status as other
at-risk groups
Page 4
Drugs
The pharmaindustry is
learning
lessons
from an
R&D
‘disaster
zone’
Page 4
F
aced with tight budgets, the
Gateway care home in Brad-
ford, England, came up with
an unusual solution to getting
residents out and about — a
mock eight-seater train carriage takes
them on a simulated journey that plays
out on two video screens several times a
day.
“Trains go through everyone’s mem-
ory,” says Chris White, the home’s man-
ager. “Many of our residents can’t get
out or it’s expensive, so we figured out
anotherwayofgivingpeopleopportuni-
ties.Youcandothisonashoestring.”
Mr White’s approach underscores the
difficulty care homes face supporting
the rising number of residents with
dementiaandotheracuteconditions.
Althoughthegovernmentencourages
the elderly to remain in their own
houses, this means that care homes are
increasingly receiving patients only
once they have chronic or end-of-life
conditionsthatrequiremorenursing.
The Alzheimer’s Society says 70 per
cent of UK care home residents have
dementia or severe memory problems,
addingtofinancialpressures.
Not all homes can charge more, either
from residents or state authorities. This
leavesmanystrugglingorcuttingactivi-
tiesthathelpstaveoffmentaldecline.
More than 400 care home operators
have collapsed since 2010, according to
Care England, leaving a total today of
around5,000acrosstheUK.
There is set to be a shortfall of 30,000
care home places for people with
Continued on page 2
Nursing
homes seek
new routes for
elderly care
Growth in number of patients with serious illness
adds to financial pressures, writesGill Plimmer
Tickets please: Jack Wilson and Elizabeth Noll ride the Gateway train simulator for an afternoon getaway— Thomas Duffield/FT
The UK cost of dementia is expected
to rise significantly
bn
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland
Sources: Alzheimer's Research UK
Many more women are living with
dementia at older ages
Estimated of people in UK living with dementia,
by age group ()
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Female Male
SEPTEMBER 18 2019 Section:Reports Time: 13/9/2019 - 18:09 User: darren.dodd Page Name: DEM1, Part,Page,Edition: DEM, 1 , 1