Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications in England reach highest ever level - Alzheimer's Society responds
Responding to the news today that Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) applications in England reached195,840 in 2015/16, the highest since they were introduced in 2009 and up on the 137,540 in 2014/15, Martina Kane, Senior Policy Officer at Alzheimer's Society, said:
"The safeguards granted by DOLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) are an essential part of protecting the right to liberty of people with dementia. It is disgraceful that nearly 30,000 people were wrongfully deprived of their liberty, and in over a quarter of cases practitioners are still locking people in, sedating them, restraining them or otherwise treating them as second class citizens. Depriving someone of their liberty should always be a last resort and only ever done in someone's best interests. It is crucial that the quality of care provided to people with dementia is improved to ensure that."
