Contents
- Does your GP care about carers?
- It's amazing what training can do
- You are told there is no support locally to help you manage
- A right to know about the information and advice available
- Conversations with GPs are not always 'seen through'
- More than a third of people with dementia in England live without a formal diagnosis
- It's a Postcode lottery
- Does your GP care about carers? While attention is focused on supporting the needs of the person being cared for, a carer’s own health care and support needs can often be overlooked and it is common for carers to suffer from physical strain or mental health issues such as stress and depression. source - 1a see also here
- The numbers of GPs who agreed that they understood what person-centred care for dementia almost tripled after the training. here
- Imagine feeling ill but being told incorrectly that your new symptoms and behaviour were just a natural part of ageing. You are then told there is no treatment, information, or support locally to help you manage it all. Imagine if your doctor knew about your condition but chose not to tell you, as he or she thought nothing could be done to help.
- For many people with dementia, this is the reality. Denied a diagnosis, denied treatment, and denied the chance to plan for the future while still able to do so. Unable, and the greater demand on the carer. The Alzheimer's Society thinks this is wrong. It thinks everyone with dementia has a right to know. A right to know about their condition in order to tackle it head on. A right to know about the information and advice available to them. A right to be fully supported after their diagnosis. This is not a lot to ask, and only what people deserve. more
- Part of the problem is that conversations with GPs are not always 'seen through'. Physical illnesses may tend to take precedence because they are easier to present to a GP, they may be more likely to be taken seriously and usually have less stigma attached, or because of a lack of public awareness. Lilly here p 6
- As of August this year, more than a third of people with dementia in England were living without a formal diagnosis, without access to medication, and without access to appropriate support or services. However, some areas are performing better than others, and your chances of getting a diagnosis still varies depending on where you live. more
- GPs have their patients' care as prime responsibility. If a patient has had no dementia diagnosis it can come under Postcode lottery discussion here. GP duty of care here.