British Geriatrics Society

New research from King’s College London found that people living with dementia experience higher levels of unplanned hospital admissions towards the end of life compared with the period immediately following their dementia diagnosis. The study found that 40% of all unplanned hospital admissions after a diagnosis of dementia took place in the last year of life.

Dementia Action Week is 16-22 May and the theme this year is diagnosis. For me things have become more personal with a close family member just having received a diagnosis of dementia. To say it’s hard is an understatement and it certainly feels a very far cry from the call for people to ‘live well’ with dementia. There’s no getting away from the negative aspects around the time of diagnosis of dementia, but it’s not long before positives need to be found. And for me, and my family, that has been trying to keep as many aspects of life as accessible and constant as possible. One of those, and something that can bring much joy in life, is listening to music.

Leaving university at 22, my only aim was to be paid well and I planned to achieve this by training as a Chartered Accountant. My aim was met, but over the years, I found the work as an auditor unsatisfying. A career break to care for my three young children resulted in me deciding to train as a nurse. My first staff nurse job was on a healthcare of the older person ward. The ward had a high proportion of patients with dementia. I had received no training on how to care for these patients’ complex needs during my nursing diploma and none was offered post-qualification.