U n i t e d K i n g d om Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 291 dementia institute in England as a base for research and medical trials. Further training for 1.3 million NHS workers in dementia care was also announced as part of the same package. Approximately 850,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia. A controversial aspect of care for elderly people involves the funding of places in residential or nursing care homes when people become too ill, frail or confused to live independently. Those people with sufficient assets usually have to pay for their own care, home accommodation and most of their medical care, which can run to more than £800 a week. This will often entail elderly people having to sell their home or spend their life savings on their care. Those people whose assets are below a certain threshold (currently £14,200) will have their care home place funded by the state, while those with assets of between £14,200 and £23,250 pay a means-tested contribution. The Care Act 2014 puts in place a structure for capping care costs, which will be implemented in April 2016. Women over 50 get free breast cancer screening. The over 65s are offered free flu jabs by their GP surgery. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers tests every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. Further information Department of Health: www.gov.uk/government/ organisations/department-of-health Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Northern Ireland): www.dhsspsni.gov.uk Commonwealth Health Online: www.commonwealthhealth.org/europe/united_kingdom Population over 65 17%
Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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