The benefits of early diagnosis of dementia

Sharvill questions the benefits of early diagnosis of dementia.1 It is wrong to suggest that people with dementia are different from those with “serious disease,” and that others who are “more needy” should take priority. An early and timely diagnosis is important because it gives people a definitive answer to complaints that might be causing distress and anxiety (and reassures those who have memory problems but do not have dementia). This is what people with dementia want, and it means that interventions can take place to avoid crises (which occur inevitably and are predicted by Sharvill). The economic benefit—avoiding unnecessary admission and institutionalisation—is well known. In any other branch of medicine a diagnosis rate of 42% would be scandalous.

No one can argue that dementia is not one of the greatest health and social care challenges we face, that “national crisis” does not underestimate the challenge, and that the ability to push improvements in the quality of care for people with dementia and their carers further and faster by the prime minister’s “challenge” is not a great opportunity.