Dementia Support Line
New ONS data reveals 65% increase in extra dementia and Alzheimer's deaths at home during the pandemic
Alzheimer’s Society responds to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that more than 70,000 extra deaths have taken place in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic - including a 65% increase in dementia and Alzheimer’s deaths.
Gavin Terry, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
'We knew that people with dementia have been worst hit by the pandemic, but it’s staggering to see that deaths at home have increased by a shocking 65% - a stark reminder of the trauma faced by thousands of families affected over the last 18 months.
While we cannot pinpoint the exact cause, we know that for people with dementia, the impact of isolation and lockdown alongside the suspension of essential health and social care services was catastrophic.
'People flooded our Dementia Connect support line telling us loved ones were fast going downhill fading away without vital contact.
'This is yet more evidence that our broken and struggling social care system needs fixing once and for all.
'We urgently need investment now so that the legacy of this crisis is an accessible, high-quality social care system that is fit for purpose for the 850,000 people with dementia, so that they and their families never have to face this alone again.'
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