Opinion
investment from the government . The Institute will research further into the diagnosis, treatment, care and prevention of the condition. The Denise Coates Foundation also donated a generous £172,000 to Alzheimer’s Research UK to fund two dementia research projects with the aim of finding a preventive treatment for the condition. An example of the real progress made
in dementia research last year is the outcome of a significant research trial carried out by the University of Manchester. The study indicated that Alzheimer’s disease can be treated with the anti-inflammatory drug mefenamic acid, which has been proven to reverse brain inflammation and memory loss. The study found that the anti- inflammatory drug completely reversed memory loss and brain inflammation in mice. This was the first time that a drug
has been shown to target this particular inflammatory pathway. More research will be required in order to identify the impact on humans and the long term implications of its use, but it has provided a promising prospect for research. Furthermore, The Medical Research
Council and the National Institute for Health Research announced research trials in August to find early ways of detecting the condition. Spotting the earliest signs of dementia is an increasingly vital part of finding effective treatments, as it allows people to enter research trials before their condition is too advanced.
Health improvements On top of improvements to quality of care, dementia funding and advancements in research, there have been several reports indicating that the proportion of people with dementia is falling in America and across Europe, as well as in the UK. This is said to be as a result of a general and increased trend towards better health, access to education, medical care and a non- smoking culture alongside a trend for increasing life expectancy. It is hoped that with a better understanding of the factors that underlie this trend, the knowledge can then be translated into interventions that will reduce the risk of dementia going forward. The year 2016 also saw the rise of
dementia-only care homes, enabling providers to create a specially designed environment for those living with the condition. These homes can cost £2,000 to £3,000 per week for
2016 saw the rise of dementia-only care homes, enabling providers to create a specially designed environment for those living with the condition
residents, and millions of pounds to build. In last year’s Autumn Statement, the
then Chancellor George Osborne committed an additional £1.5 bn to the Better Care Fund as a way of speeding up the process of integration between health and social care. However, health and social care and the desperate need for additional funding was omitted from Philip Hammond’s pledges, a decision that was widely condemned by sector leaders and local government bodies as a missed opportunity for further investment. While investment in the social care
sector would have eased the strain across the industry and subsequently on the NHS, it has stimulated strong cross- party support in government and greater coverage in the media, raising awareness of the challenges facing social care. The Chancellor’s decision not to
address the unsustainable problems in the NHS and social care services resulted in a number of Conservative MPs expressing their dismay. This was in addition to senior doctors, the chair of the NHS Confederation, council leaders across all parties and former Conservative health secretaries Andrew Lansley and Dr Sarah Wollaston, as well as the growing anger among members of Labour’s frontbench. The lack of any commitment to tackle the social care crisis also resulted in many leaders in local government, as well as senior figures in the medical profession, demanding that the government take a U-turn on funding, on the basis that the safety of millions of elderly people is at risk due to the funding crisis.
The future The Autumn Statement undoubtedly came as a disappointing blow to the prospects of the social care sector in the near future. However, the support from politicians, patient and community groups, medical professionals, think tanks and local authority leaders, as well as coverage in the media of the challenges providers and local authorities are facing has provided hope. Increasing pressures could influence the policy agenda with clear measures to
January 2017 •
www.thecarehomeenvi ronment .com
tackle the funding gap, perhaps even by the time the 2017 budget is introduced. Also on a positive note, 2016 has
seen the welcome introduction of nursing apprenticeships from September 2017. The government announced that four universities will receive £4.5 m in funding to enable them to develop and launch new degree level nursing courses with 5,200 places. This comes on top of the Department of Health unveiling a target of 100,000 new apprenticeships in the NHS in England by 2020, earlier this year. While the real significance of the
funding gap crisis in social care is being realised by many across the health and social care sector, 2016 saw some positive and promising steps forward. With the improvements in standards of care quality, greater support from the sector, and advancement in dementia care funding, research and technology, it is hoped that in 2017 the trend will continue to further improve and build on the developments that were seen in 2016.
TCHE
Davina Ludlow
Davina Ludlow is director of
carehome.co.uk, a guide to UK care homes. Davina is also a trustee of the Care Workers Charity, which supports current, former and retired care workers by providing financial assistance in cases of hardship or sickness.
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