The Alzheimer’s Society recently published a report entitled “Worst hit: dementia during coronavirus”. Based on published data from academic and non-academic sources, as well as data from four Alzheimer’s Society surveys of care home managers and people affected by dementia, the report reveals the devastating impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia, their families and caregivers.
According to data from the UK Office of National Statistics, over a quarter of people who died due to COVID-19 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between March-June had dementia, linked in part to the fact that old age is the greatest risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. The report emphasizes that care homes were not sufficiently protected during the first wave of the pandemic, stating that almost 40% of all deaths related to COVID-19 were in care home residents. Analysing the proportion of excess deaths, the report shows that between January and July there were 5,049 excess deaths of people with dementia compared to the 5-year average for the same period.
Beyond the mortality figures, the Alzheimer’s Society report draws attention to the increased loneliness and isolation experienced by people with dementia at the height of the pandemic, due to the cessation of care home visits and the shielding & social isolation advice provided by the UK government for people who were deemed to be clinically vulnerable. Their survey of 134 people with dementia revealed that 56% of those living alone in the community felt more lonely over lockdown; 46% reported a negative impact of lockdown on their mental health and 82% reported an increase in dementia symptoms. In care homes, 79% of managers reported that the lack of social contact was causing a deterioration in health and wellbeing, while a survey of over 1,000 carers revealed that 76% felt that their caring responsibilities had increased due to worsening symptoms. Alarmingly, over 90% of informal carers to people with dementia in the community stated that the person they care for had experienced interruptions to their regular health or social care.
To mitigate against the negative effects of COVID-19 as winter approaches, the Alzheimer’s Society report outlines 8 recommendations targeted at the UK governments, health and social care systems. These include regular, timely testing and adequate provision of PPE; clear and consistent guidelines; recognition of the key role played by informal caregivers; maintenance of appropriate contact between people with dementia in care homes and their loved ones; rehabilitation strategies including speech, language and physical therapies; and the implementation of a recovery plan to ensure that people can obtain a timely diagnosis of dementia without unneccesary waiting times. Crucially, the report highlights the need for urgent social care reform, calling for universal, person-centred care that is free at the point of delivery and is integrated with the NHS and other health systems.
