Dementia affects 25% of in patients in Irish care facilities and costs the government a massive €21 million every year. It is a condioton that most of us will have encountered in our lives involving elderly relatives and it can be heart breaking to witness.

Therefore figures released today will be a major surprise to most as they indicate that 91% of hospital wards  in Ireland do not have access to psychology services, and over a third of wards have healthcare assistant positions that remain vacant.

The research was carried out by Dr Suzanne Timmons who is the Consultant Geriatrician at UCC-Mercy Hospital and she claims the low standard of dementia care in hospitals continues to affect the overall well-being of patients who are in their care.

Speaking about this issue she said “For a person with dementia, it must be much more challenging and much more frightening. If you’re used to being at home with someone you recognise, and you’re used to your own routine, the acute hospital must be a very frightening place – and this is why everyone who works in a hospital needs to improve their practices.”