Creating excellence in dementia care: A research review for Ireland's national dementia strategy
Year: 2012
Type: report
Abstract: Dementia is a progressive condition that largely affects older people, impacting on their memory, language, ability to \ncommunicate, mood and personality. The course of the illness may be gradual and sometimes subtle, as is classically \nthe case in Alzheimer’s disease. While dementia is a medical condition, recent insights from the psychosocial, sociopolitical \nand public health perspectives have focused attention on the human, social and economic implications of \nthe disease. The ageing of the population across Europe and beyond means that the number of people with dementia \nwill grow in future decades with consequent implications for care provision, care burden and public expenditure. It is \nno wonder, therefore, that many countries are already preparing for the projected rise in the number of people with \ndementia by putting in place dedicated action plans and/or dementia strategies. \nThe Irish government has given a commitment in the Programme of Government for 2011-2016 to develop and \nimplement a Strategy for Dementia for Ireland promising to: \ndevelop a national Alzheimer’s and other dementias strategy by 2013 to increase awareness, ensure early \ndiagnosis and intervention, and development of enhanced community based services. This strategy will be \nimplemented over five years. \nThe new Strategy has the potential to bring about a major change in public attitudes to dementia in Ireland and to \nchange expectations in regard to the rights of people with dementia. Through the Strategy it should be possible to \nformulate a plan that emphasises the importance of the person with dementia in decision-making and the role of \nfamilies and local communities in supporting community-based preferences, wherever possible. It should be possible \nto develop a plan that will dispel myths, shame and stigma surrounding dementia and enable people to live well with \ndementia, and promote their autonomy and well-being. It should be possible to develop a Strategy so that people can \ndie in dignity with dementia assured that their complex needs are met by an educated workforce skilled in dementia \ncare and in gerontological nursing and palliative care. \nThe purpose of this report is to create the evidence-based research that will help to lay the foundations for the \nnew Strategy. The objectives of this evidence-based research review, as agreed between the funders (The Atlantic \nPhilanthropies (AP)), the Department of Health and the contract researchers, were fourfold: \n1. to review current and future demographic trends in Ireland and provide estimates of current and future \ndementia prevalence rates, in relation to both those aged 65 and over and younger people; \n2. to specify the main economic costs of dementia care; \n3. to review current service availability (based on the recent Health Service Executive (HSE) audit) and \nestimated future demand for services; \n4. to review best practice in dementia care locally and internationally. \nGiven the terms of reference, not all issues pertaining to dementia could be covered, but the report does provide the \nbasis for the development of many of the areas that will be central to the new Strategy.
Authors: Suzanne Cahill, Eamon O’Shea, Maria Pierce
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Health Service Executive
OpenAlex ID: W1531858275