Almost two-thirds of people living with dementia do not have a personalised care plan showing how they want to receive care as their condition progresses.
That is the finding of the World Alzheimer’s Report 2022, launched by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) on World Alzheimer’s Day (21 September), which focuses on post-diagnostic support globally and shows that a “surprising number” of people around the world do not get it.
According to international survey results published in the report, 45% of people with dementia in lower income countries indicated that they had not been offered support, compared with 37% in higher income countries.
High levels of stress are common among informal carers and professionals, the report says, with 93% of carers internationally saying they felt stressed some or all of the time, while 86% of professionals felt stressed some or all of the time.
“What the report makes clear is that a lot more needs to be done in order for post-diagnosis support to be more effective, equitable and accessible globally,” ADI said.
Among its recommendations, ADI calls for:
- National dementia plans to become a policy priority
- Care to be person-centred, inclusive and underpinned by robust care plans
- Care to be coordinated and accessible
- Education to be improved and expanded
- Stigma to be further challenged.
For “World Alzheimer Report 2022: Life after diagnosis, Navigating treatment, care and support”, go to www.alzint.org/u/World-Alzheimer-Report-2022.pdf