Walk-in dementia clinics

Yes. It's true. If you can't remember your GP appointment because you are becoming demented you can drop in to the walk-in memory clinic. You can see the method to this madness.

The lobby groups on this topic have some quotes. Here's one:

Research has shown that a brief four or five-hour programme of support and counselling at diagnosis can reduce institutional care by an astonishing 28 per cent or an average of 557 days compared with those not receiving such interventions. This is particularly crucial considering that much of the cost associated with dementia results from expensive care home provision.

Does anybody know where that comes from? Can it be true? The other sound bites are about how bad doctors are. But we are used to that.

Everybody wants to avoid getting dementia in later life. Nobody wants their nearest and dearest to develop dementia. And everybody wants the best treatment there is for dementia. And, as we know from today's stories, lots and lots and lots can be done. Everybody wants it to be Christmas. But it isn't Christmas all the time. It just isn't.

Sometimes it is difficult to point out to people who mean well that there are flaws in their arguments. There is not much point in early diagnosis if the services in place are insufficient.

Here's another quote:

Professor Banerjee admits the services in place now are not able to deal with the number of people who need them.

Here's a quote from the lobby group:

If community services were sufficient and specialist services similarly boosted, numbers could be managed, as early diagnosis would mean fewer people needing specialist care.

And the gentle retort from the professional:

It is a myth that a growth in community based memory services will mean a reduction in inpatient specialist care.

Sometimes it seems dementia is infectious. Now just where did Dr Grumble leave those keys? Source: HSJ.