Dementia Care at North Mid
Dementia is a common condition that affects one in three people over the age of 65 in the UK.
The term dementia describes a set of symptoms that usually includes loss of memory, difficulty with communication, reasoning and decision-making, changes in mood and behaviour and difficulty completing day to day activities.
Dementia affects over 1 million people in the UK. It mainly affects people over 65 years of age, but it is also diagnosed in smaller numbers in people under 65 years of age.
Efforts are being made in the UK supported by the NHS to ensure that people with dementia are diagnosed as early as possible and with their families are supported to plan for the future.
If you are worried about your memory, or the memory of someone you care about, speak to your GP, who may do some tests to rule out other causes for memory loss before referring you to our local Memory Service in Enfield, Haringey or in the Borough the patient resides in.
Approximate 25% of all patients on our wards at North Mid have confusion. This is due to them having dementia, unrecognised dementia (i.e. not yet diagnosed) or delirium (acute confusion).
Around 600 patients per day attend our Emergency Department, a small number of these patients will have a known diagnosis of dementia.
Hospital admission is challenging for all patients, especially patients who are confused. Looking after them requires skill and compassion. These patients are prone to staying in hospital for longer, suffering clinical incidents (e.g. falls), and not being able to return to their normal residence when discharged.
At North Mid we are committed to providing outstanding care for our patients. Patients with dementia or confusion will be more reliant on others to support them. Their main carer or family will be vital in ensuring effective care.
This page provides information for service users to help understand more of what we can offer and support the admission.