title: Losing our minds.
abstract: Guardian Weekend. August 26, 26-29. This is an investigation of care given to people with dementia in what is called 'a scandal besetting the confused and helpless'. The author describes the cost of caring for her stepmother at home. Only by chance did she discover that she might qualify for continuing care - full NHS funding - and that such care might be provided at home. She writes: 'If you have a life-threatening illness such as heart disease, the NHS pays. But if you have dementia, although it too is a terminal illness, every penny is haggled over.' When people do meet the eligibility criteria for continuing-care funding they may not be told that this is the case and, even if they are eligible, they may not realise that the funding can be used to provide care at home.
authors.affiliation: University of Portsmouth.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sander