Fixing dementia homes

It may be uncomfortable to watch, but BBC2's current series Can Gerry Robinson fix Dementia Homes? should be praised for bringing public attention to what some see as a pretty unpalatable subject matter.

It depicts, all too depressingly, the bleak reality that many of our friends, families and, indeed, we ourselves face, as we all live longer. The show tells us there will be over one million Britons with dementia in the next 20 years. And it highlights, if you can stomach watching, the inadequate facilities and resources there are to ensure real quality of life for those with this ever more common condition.

Let's not forget that for every bad care home, there are plenty of good ones delivering excellent service. But what can be learnt from the best? And what else should be done to ensure every person with dementia has access to the best care?

Through our research, we've been able to come up with a range of practical solutions that, if implemented, could make a huge difference. These include practical guides on how to manage a dementia home or to recognise and address pain in residents; recommendations on supporting older people at night-times in care homes and ensuring social well-being and inclusion in extra care settings; and a specialist tool - "Talking Mats" - that could help those with dementia communicate better with staff and loved ones.

This year we've also committed £1.5m to fund a five year programme that will focus on the challenge Gerry Robinson gives himself in the programme: how to ensure a better quality of life for the growing number of older people with high support needs in the UK. We'll come up with a range of costed options that will deliver tangible benefits for those in residential care, housing with care or alternative (what could be very innovative) settings. We will also be supporting leadership and development in our own care homes.

It's great that Gerry Robinson has focused on this area of social policy. Let's not lose the momentum. This demographic challenge – one which is not only about numbers but also about quality and commitment - is one of the greatest of our times.

Episode 2 of Can Gerry Robinson fix Dementia Homes? airs tonight at 9pm on BBC 2. Both episodes will be available over the next few days on the BBC iplayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pf0s2