Ground-breaking new research from ARC NWC is the first large-scale study to show a link between socio‐economic factors on time to care home admission in dementia, analysing data from over 34,000 people.

Using population scale routine electronic health record data for Wales, the team was able to investigate this under‐researched area and found that people with dementia from low socio‐economic backgrounds were found to have slower rates of care home admission in Wales over one year. Living in a rural as opposed to urban environment was also found to result in slower rates of care home admission.

By analysing routine health data of 34,514 people living with dementia who were admitted into a care home between 2000 and 2018 in Wales, the study was able to identify that the average time between diagnosis and care home admission was 1.5 years.

Researchers also found that increased age, living alone, frailty, and living in less disadvantaged neighbourhoods were associated with a faster rate of care home admission. Living in rural regions on the other hand predicted a slower rate until care home admission.

Dementia affects approximately 50 million people worldwide, and in the UK, one of the biggest cost factors in dementia is care home residency, which is 1.8 times more expensive than home care. This often results in people having to sell their homes to be able to afford institutional long‐term care.

For this reason, people with dementia are encouraged to stay in their own home for as long as possible. However, at some point, the care needs of a person cannot be supported sufficiently within the community any longer, for example, due to increased support needs with daily activities

The study’s authors say that by understanding potential health inequalities, better informed policies ensuring timely access to care homes can be designed, and that their findings clearly address the Dementia Roadmap 2025 by providing novel insights of existing health inequalities in dementia care.

The full study: “Socio‐economic predictors of time to care home admission in people living with dementia in Wales: A routine data linkage study”