Improving Care for People with Dementia

1. Improving Care for People with Dementia Phil Hope Director, Improving Care Adjunct Professor, Global Health Institute, Imperial College

2. Demographic Pressures

3. Cost Pressures

4. National Policy • National Dementia Strategy 2009 • better awareness of dementia • early diagnosis • high quality treatment at whatever stage of dementia and whatever setting • Quality Outcomes for People with Dementia 2010 • Improve access to early diagnosis and intervention • Improve quality of care in hospitals • Improve quality of care in care homes • Reduce inappropriate prescribing of anti-psychotics • National Operating Framework 2012/13 • Section 2 Quality: Areas for attention • Dementia and care of older people • Carers

5. Examples of Good Practice • Specialist memory assessment services • Practice based memory services • Community based memory cafes • Cognitive stimulation therapy groups • Innovative practice- ‘men in sheds’ • Carer information sessions - peer support and intervention options • Enhanced workforce development across the system: • GP education seminars • Dementia specific e-learning tools • Dementia link worker training in hospitals, the community and care homes • Reducing avoidable admissions to hospital • Reducing prescribing of anti psychotic medications • Supporting care homes to understand appropriate care pathways for people with dementia and identify and halt the progression of treatable physical conditions such as UTI)

6. Key Messages • Dementia is a long term condition not a mental health illness • Dementia is not an inevitable consequence of the ageing process • Most people can be supported for most of the time to live well with dementia through effective primary and community care • Dementia care should be anticipatory and proactive and include physical as well as mental health needs • Support and work with carers of people with dementia • Dementia care should be mainstreamed within primary care and community services and re-allocate resources • Specialist mental health provision is well positioned for complex diagnosis and complex behaviours management • Partnership working across organisations – public, voluntary and private - is essential to deliver comprehensive and quality dementia care • Take action to raise awareness and understanding in communities to reduce stigmatising beliefs and attitudes