Excess deaths from all causes, involving and with dementia as the underlying cause: Scotland 2020-2022

At home or in non-institutional settings, deaths from all causes, deaths involving dementia and deaths with dementia as the underlying cause are above average in 2020 and 2021

Deaths involving dementia and deaths with dementia as the underlying cause, compared with deaths from all causes, at home or in non-institutional settings

At home or in non-institutional settings in 2020, there were 5,285 (+34%) excess deaths from all causes compared to the 2015-2019 average. Deaths involving dementia and deaths with dementia as the underlying cause also exceeded the average with 560 (+56%) and 329 (+63%) deaths, respectively.

In 2021, deaths from all causes exceeded the 2015-2019 average by 5,716 (+37%). Deaths involving dementia and deaths with dementia as the underlying cause also exceeded the average with 606 (+60%) and 377 (+72%) deaths, respectively.

Deaths involving dementia and COVID-19 at home or in non-institutional settings

Compared to care homes and hospital settings, fewer deaths involving dementia and COVID-19 were registered at home or non-institutional settings, with 48 deaths in 2020 and 54 deaths in 2021. This finding contrasts to the number of excess deaths involving dementia, which were high in both years. This suggests that the trend in elevated excess deaths involving dementia at home or in non-institutional settings is not due to deaths involving COVID-19.

However, this elevated excess is not observed in hospitals where deaths involving dementia are below average for 2020 and 2021. This suggests a shift in the location of death from hospitals, as well as from care homes in 2021, to home or non-institutional settings.