Developing Skills and Knowledge: improving dementia care

Dementia is one of the greatest challenges we face: • 800,000 people live with dementia in the UK. This is expected to rise to 1 million by 2021. • Kent, Surrey and Sussex have the greatest proportion of older people in the country. • 50,000 people are currently diagnosed with dementia in the region. This figure is expected to rise to 75,000 by 2030. • Nationally, the cost of treatment and care for dementia is estimated to be £23bn, and there are thought to be around 670,000 unpaid family carers. There is currently no cure for dementia and the diagnosis rate in the region is one of the lowest in England. We therefore have an opportunity to educate and train all levels of our workforce to improve diagnosis rates, treatment and care.