Aging Population of Lincolnshire Escalates Demand for Dementia Services
Health professionals have confirmed that Lincolnshire is facing an unusual surge in its elderly population, which has put pressure on mental health and dementia services. The Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) revealed that Lincolnshire’s growing number of residents over 65 years old, specifically those above 75, is steadily increasing.
Demographic Impact
This demographic trend has resulted in the county having 180,000 residents over 65. This number is expected to rise by a significant 46 percent, to 250,000, by the year 2041. Furthermore, an 87 percent increase is forecasted in the population of over-75s.
Prevalently affected by this turn of events are individuals diagnosed with young-onset dementia, a condition typically seen in younger age groups. The county currently has a median age of 42, showing a two-year advancement compared to the national average age of 40.
"Lincolnshire continues to experience an above national average growth in the over 65 years population, and greater growth specifically in the over 75s,"
Mental Health: A Rising Concern
The LPFT has acknowledged that although Home Treatment Teams provide considerable mental health support, they are not capable of handling crisis situations for dementia patients. The combination of Lincolnshire's rapidly growing elderly population and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has significantly heightened the demand for mental health and dementia services in the county.
"This, alongside the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, has seen a continued rise in demand and referrals for both mental health services and in particular, dementia-related support,"
Steven Roberts, LPFT Head of Dementia Services, stated: "We have started to look at different methods of service delivery to try and increase the modes of access to the services. If we’re going to try to stop the need or prevent the growing population from a mental health and dementia perspective, we really need to put the preventative work in place now."
Need for Increased Support
Michael White, regional manager for Alzheimer’s Society in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, further emphasised the lack of adequate support and resources for dementia patients and their caretakers in Lincolnshire. He pointed out the need for more targeted services for the over 300 individuals under the age of 65 diagnosed with ‘young onset dementia’.
"It is clear that across Lincolnshire, people with dementia and their carers are not getting enough support and the resources available have not kept up with demand."
Addressing regional variations in the elderly population demographics and associated challenges to healthcare provision, Tom Rose, Admiral Nurse Clinical Lead at St. Barnabas stated: "This is more acute in some areas than others. In terms of health population, there is also variety across the county...This brings additional challenges to service planning and provision."
Future Solutions
While waiting well workers have been deployed by LPFT to keep contact with those awaiting assistance, long-term solutions are required to address staffing issues and service waiting times, which currently stand at approximately 12 weeks.