95% of councils can’t track the number of local people with young-onset dementia, new report finds
The report is based on case studies and Freedom of Information requests to 139 local authorities, 34 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and 36 NHS Foundation Trusts. Findings include:
95% of local authorities do not record YOD as a distinct category
64% of local authorities fund care for fewer than a quarter of the people with YOD in their area
Just 10% of local authorities report having any specialist YOD support locally
76% of local authorities make no specific mention of YOD in their dementia strategies
Just 41% of ICBs have a strategy that mentions YOD
70% of mental health trusts reported at least one detention under the Mental Health Act of a person with YOD in the past 12 months
The report estimates that councils spend around £267m a year on YOD care. Most of this is spent on generic, ‘all-ages’ services, generally designed for people decades older. YOD often involves atypical symptoms, occurring in life stages characterised by careers, young children and mortgages. For those with young-onset dementia, the impact of the condition is often devastating; all-ages support is often unsuited to providing the right support; and the support they need is too often inaccessible.