ABSTRACT
The National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People (Department of Health, 2001) reports that the number of people over the age of 65 has doubled in the last 70 years and that the number of people over 90 years old is likely to double over the next 25 years. As such we are facing the reality of an aging population and subsequent pressures on health and social services for older people. One significant result of this aging population is likely to be an increase in the incidence of dementia. In the Department of Health publication Who Cares? (Department of Health, 2000) it is estimated that around 6/100 people over the age of 65 will develop dementia to some degree, with this number increasing to 20/100 among people over 85. It is also estimated that as many as 17 000 people under the age of 65 may have dementia. A recent cross-sectional study of three London boroughs by Harvey et al (2003) indicated that the prevalence of dementia in people aged 30–64 years was 54 per 100 000 people. These people are likely to be referred to Older Adult Mental Health Services, putting further pressure on resources, therefore the need to identify effective systems of care for this population is paramount.
