Excess deaths from dementia spiked early in pandemic, study shows

Dementia deaths spiked 67% above the five-year average in April 2020, a report found.

The study looked at the impact of the pandemic on people with dementia (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Wire)

There was a spike in excess deaths caused by dementia during the first wave of the pandemic, a study has found.

Some deaths recorded as being caused by dementia may have involved coronavirus if the person was not tested before their death, it said.

The report also noted an increase in deaths “involving” dementia, particularly in care homes.

The Scottish Government study is the first of its kind in the UK and examined the impact of the pandemic on people with dementia.

Deaths involvng dementia increased in care homes (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Archive)

It found dementia was the main pre-existing condition in deaths involving Covid-19. During 2020, 28% of all coronavirus deaths also mentioned dementia on the death certificate.

During April 2020, deaths caused by dementia were 67% higher than the five-year average.

Throughout the whole year, deaths caused by dementia were 5% above the five-year average.

For deaths involving dementia, rather than caused by dementia, the figure in 2020 was 21% higher than the five-year average.

Responding to the report, Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf said excess deaths in care homes fell later in the pandemic.

Humza Yousaf said excess deaths fell later in the pandemic (Peter Summers) (PA Wire)

Mr Yousaf said: “We should never forget that every life lost to this pandemic represents a unique individual no longer with us, and families and communities in mourning.

“NRS (National Records of Scotland) statistics show a marked increase in excess deaths attributed to dementia in the early stages of the pandemic (April–June 2020), and establish that dementia was the most common pre-existing medical condition amongst those whose deaths involved Covid-19.

“This study by the Scottish Government expands on this data by analysing all deaths where dementia was a contributory or an underlying cause.

“The study shows that while 73% of deaths involving both dementia and Covid-19 occurred in care homes in 2020, there was a rapid reduction in excess deaths in this setting in later stages of the pandemic.

“This could indicate that the infection prevention measures and other restrictions put in place to protect care home residents and, in particular, the decisions to prioritise care home residents and staff for vaccination, had a significant positive impact.”

He continued: “The findings strongly suggest that excess deaths involving dementia were largely due to Covid-19 infection, rather than the indirect effects of lockdown and other restrictions.

“While it is not possible to conclude from the report’s findings whether those deaths were avoidable, the report will inform the public inquiry and will be useful in helping to inform the clinical response to people with dementia who contract Covid-19 in future.”