Resources

Projections suggest that in 50 years’ time there will be an additional 8.6 million people over 65 years old in the UK. As a consequence, England will see an increase in older people who have higher levels of dependency, dementia, and comorbidity. People living with dementia are likely to have on average, an additional 4.6 chronic conditions. However, the true extent of comorbidities experienced by people with dementia may be unreported and underdiagnosed as a result of their difficulties in communicating their symptoms or in others failing to observe them. There is evidence to suggest that people with dementia are less likely to access effective treatment and monitoring of their comorbid conditions compared to people without dementia who have the same comorbid conditions. This impacts negatively on their health and wellbeing. This second paper of the series relating to dementia considers some of the complications that may arise when trying to support people with dementia and comorbid conditions, and how this impacts upon the two families introduced in the first paper.

Here, Samantha Dorney-Smith, homeless health programme lead, Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI); nursing fellow, Pathway; outreach nurse, Doctors of the World; secretary, London Network of Nurses and Midwives Homelessness Groups, looks at inclusion health, the groups and numbers involved, morbidity within those groups and the lack of access to services. She also explores the impact that the pandemic has had on health inequalities and introduces some nurse-led interventions which have enabled better access to services during Covid-19.