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" Hospitals need to make significant improvements to ensure people with dementia receive high-quality care, a national audit has found. The National Audit of Dementia looked at 210 hospitals in England and Wales and found that improvements need to be made to hospital ward environments, staff training and overall care delivery. Most wards were found to meet basic safety requirements, but many are failing to take steps to lessen patients&amp;#039; distress and confusion, the report said. Less than a third of staff thought their training and development in dementia care was sufficient and just three-fifths of wards displayed patients&amp;#039; personal items where they could see them for reassurance. The report also highlighted a need for larger signs and wider use of colour schemes to help patients find their way around. Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer&amp;#039;s Society, said: &amp;#039;Being in hospital is often confusing and frightening for people with dementia, but small changes can help make their stay more comfortable.&amp;#039; He added that training in dementia care should be &amp;#039;the norm&amp;#039; for hospital staff. Dr Kevin Stewart, clinical director of the Royal College of Physicians&amp;#039; Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit, which carried out the audit, said that patients with dementia should receive the &amp;#039;best possible care&amp;#039; in hospital. &amp;#039;They deserve no less, and we are delighted that the NHS in England has made the care of this group one of its top priorities,&amp;#039; he remarked. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/conditions/brain-and-nervous-system/news/a21851/report-underlines-need-for-hospital-dementia-care-improvements/>