Dementia drugs use could be halved

Training care home staff to properly help dementia sufferers could reduce the use of antipsychotic drugs by up to 50 per cent, research suggests.

The Alzheimer’s Society said 144,000 people with dementia are “inappropriately” prescribed the drugs with increased risk of death or stroke.

It said the drugs can also leave people unable to walk or talk.

Staff at more than 150 care homes across the UK will be specially trained in a bid to reduce the number of patients unnecessarily taking the drug, the charity said. They will learn simple exercises, such as listening to care home residents’ life stories to connect with them.