Dementia care in Denmark falling short of targets, only 18% receive timely assessments

Plans and reality regarding dementia care in Denmark are significantly misaligned. Only 18% of patients diagnosed with dementia receive a thorough assessment within the targeted 12 weeks, despite a health goal aiming for 80% to have their diagnosis confirmed in that timeframe. Kirsten Normann Andersen, the spokesperson for elderly and health issues from the Socialist People’s Party, stated that this situation is “simply not good enough” and described dementia as a “tragically intense disease.” She added that timely assessments are critical for many dementia patients, particularly those needing treatment.

The 2016 dementia action plan, broadly adopted in Parliament, aimed to ensure timely evaluations. Andersen expressed the need to prioritize the most severely affected patients for quicker assessments, acknowledging the challenges in eliminating waiting lists.

Additionally, medication use has not improved since the plan’s initiation. In 2016, 20.2% of dementia patients were prescribed antipsychotic medication, a figure politicians aimed to halve. However, by 2023, that number had only slightly decreased to 19.5%, revealing a troubling stagnation. Mette Thiesen, health spokesperson for the Danish People’s Party, admitted that the results are far from acceptable and lamented the failure to implement the 2016 plan.

Despite some positive developments in certain municipalities, neither party claimed Denmark to be a dementia-friendly country. Health Minister Sophie Løhde expressed dissatisfaction with the failure to meet the targets set in 2016. While she pointed out funding has been allocated to address waiting times, she did not confirm whether a new dementia action plan would be introduced upon the current plan’s expiration. Løhde emphasized her commitment to the issue, highlighting the importance of continued investment and focus on areas with significant waiting time challenges.