Project 7: Policy support for improvements to care for people with cognitive impairment (dementia and neurodegenerative disease) admitted to acute hospitals  

Background:

Individuals with cognitive impairment due to dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases are often admitted to hospital, just like those with normal cognitive function. However, hospital stays can pose risks for those with cognitive impairment, and healthcare staff may struggle to provide suitable care. Over the years, there have been various government and NHS initiatives to address this, including the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ National Audit on Dementia Care in Acute Hospitals. Concerns have arisen, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, about a decline in the quality of acute hospital care for people with dementia. 

Aims and objectives:

We will look at how current policies support high-quality hospital care for individuals with cognitive impairment from dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, and how future policy might best address the needs of this vulnerable population. 

Methods:

We will start by looking at how hospital care for people with dementia and neurodegenerative diseases happens now. We will look at national data from the past decade to identify trends in acute hospital admissions for this group. We will look for relevant policies and compare these to these to the data we analyse, to consider how policies have affected hospital care for individuals with cognitive impairment and explore alternative approaches to hospital care and potential effects of policy changes. 

Policy relevance and dissemination:

The primary audience for this research includes the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the British Geriatrics Society, the Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  
 
The findings will be disseminated through a journal paper, a policy report, and a brief tailored for the DHSC and NHS England. We plan to inform future policy aiming to support better acute hospital care for individuals with cognitive impairment.