❓ WA parliamentary question regarding the number of people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, bed availability, and waiting times. Data collection limitations are highlighted.
AnsweredQoN 2008Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Western Australians living with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in Western Australia, and I ask: (a) how many people are estimated to have this condition; (b) how many beds are available to people who have this conditions; and (c) what has been the waiting time for a bed for a person with this condition for each of the past five years?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 February 2015
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health
Response time
120 days
(a) WA Health does not have current prevalence figures for Dementia in WA. The current Australian Burden of Disease study will provide these data although will not be available until sometime in 2015. WA Health's estimate from the previous Burden of Disease study is supplied 19,668 people in 2006.
Deloitte Access Economics for Alzheimer's Australia estimated 29,600 people in 2013
[1]
(b) A total of 144 Older Adult mental health beds are available within the metropolitan region to treat people with acute, sub-acute or non-acute care needs related to the full range of psychiatric conditions that afflict the elderly, including severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital has a dedicated 10 bed Delirium Care Unit (DCU) for patients that meet specific admission criteria
. Dementia Patients can also be cared for through the Medical Assessment Unit and other general medical inpatient beds.
Over the last decade, contemporary practice for people with server behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia has ensured that increasingly most treatment is provided in the person's normal place of residence (for example home, nursing home, hostel) and via hospital in the home. This has resulted in marked reductions in both the numbers of admissions and length of stay.
(c) This information is not collected as WA Health does not have a data collection system to monitor waiting times for public mental health inpatient beds.
[1]
Source: Deloitte Access Economics for Alzheimer's Australia
https://wa.fightdementia.org.au/wa/research-and-publications/reports-and-publications/dementia-statistics
Deloitte Access Economics for Alzheimer's Australia estimated 29,600 people in 2013
[1]
(b) A total of 144 Older Adult mental health beds are available within the metropolitan region to treat people with acute, sub-acute or non-acute care needs related to the full range of psychiatric conditions that afflict the elderly, including severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital has a dedicated 10 bed Delirium Care Unit (DCU) for patients that meet specific admission criteria
. Dementia Patients can also be cared for through the Medical Assessment Unit and other general medical inpatient beds.
Over the last decade, contemporary practice for people with server behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia has ensured that increasingly most treatment is provided in the person's normal place of residence (for example home, nursing home, hostel) and via hospital in the home. This has resulted in marked reductions in both the numbers of admissions and length of stay.
(c) This information is not collected as WA Health does not have a data collection system to monitor waiting times for public mental health inpatient beds.
[1]
Source: Deloitte Access Economics for Alzheimer's Australia
https://wa.fightdementia.org.au/wa/research-and-publications/reports-and-publications/dementia-statistics
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