Hundreds more people will be checked for dementia thanks to a new specialist service being trialled across the country, the NHS announced today. Care home residents will be proactively assessed for the condition by specialist nurses and other healthcare professionals through 14 new pilot schemes being rolled out in the new year. The new scheme […]

While many of us might get a bit bored of the same old Christmas films, TV repeats and seasonal songs being rolled out each year, people with dementia can actually benefit from a touch of festive familiarity. NHS England’s national clinical director for dementia and older people’s mental health Alistair Burns says singing along to […]

NHS hospitals are going back to the future to help patients with dementia by decorating their wards, rooms and corridors in 1940s and 1950s style – creating a calming, familiar environment which can help jog memories, reduce anxiety and distress. With ageing well and caring for people with dementia both key priorities in the NHS […]

Although many home nations fans might find sitting through this year’s rugby world cup matches a little too nerve-racking at times, the NHS says watching the sport can actually be good for your mental health and wellbeing. As the world’s top rugby nations prepare for their first matches in Japan, England’s top dementia doctor says […]

Scott Mitchell, the husband of acting legend Barbara Windsor, has today issued a Valentine’s Day call for people to heed NHS advice and check loved ones for signs of dementia. The couple have spoken movingly about the former EastEnders and Carry On star’s battle with the disease in an effort to raise awareness about the […]

Digital checks that can prevent dementia and falls in older people, and save lives through diagnosis of sepsis, are among a range of tools being made available in hospitals across the country, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. One in eight hospital patients is affected by delirium, which can make people unsteady on […]

Making a New Year’s resolution to take up a free NHS health check could stop people developing dementia as well as catching physical conditions, a top doctor said today. The national health check – a 20-minute, pain-free assessment carried out by a GP or nurse and involving tests on blood pressure, weight and height – […]

People should look out for signs of depression and dementia among older family members and friends over Christmas, NHS England expert Professor Alistair Burns urged today. Problems that may have been hidden can come to the surface or be easier to spot as families or friends get together over the festive season, Prof Burns said. […]

It’s a claim that might sound far-fetched to many England fans as they gear up to watch the team’s quarter-final clash with Sweden this afternoon, but a senior doctor has claimed that watching football can be good for mental wellbeing. The NHS director has said that for older people in particular there are clear benefits […]

Most community pharmacies in England are now providing improved asthma and dementia care, NHS England figures show. Thousands of community pharmacists took up incentives to offer new patient services, such as providing asthma checks and undertaking training to become more dementia aware, as part of a programme to improve care. The uptake figures from NHS […]