Comorbidity and dementia

Comorbidity and dementia: improving healthcare for people with dementia. (CoDem)

Many people with dementia (PWD) also have other medical conditions, such as stroke, diabetes or visual impairment. If not managed well, these conditions may make a person’s dementia worse or lead to unplanned hospital admissions.

PWD may find it harder to manage a long term condition like diabetes and, in addition, decisions about their care (for example whether or not someone should have an operation for cataracts) may be made more difficult. Despite this little is known about how services are organised for this vulnerable group of people.

This study by  considers how having dementia alongside another long term health problem affects how people access services, have their needs assessed and are supported over time.

Funded by: NIHR SDO

Project Grant total: £340,252

UH staff: Dr Frances Bunn, Professor Claire Goodman

Collaborators: Professor Carol Brayne and Dr Sam Norton University of Cambridge; Professor Louise Robinson University of Newcastle; Dr Greta Rait University College London, Dr Johan Schoeman Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust