A National Dementia Strategy
for Ireland:
Signposting the Possibilities
A Clinician’s Perspective
Dr. Henry O’Connell
Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychiatry of Later Life,
Laois-Offaly Mental Health Services
and
Adjunct Senior Clinical Lecturer, Unversity of Limerick
Graduate Entry Medical School
ASI National Conference, Dublin, October 25th 2012
Talk/paper Outline
1. Setting the context: why we need a plan
2. Principles that may govern the new plan for Ireland
3. Hearing the voice of the person with dementia
4. International dementia strategies
5. The Irish National Dementia Strategy: what could, should and
must be included in the plan
6. How to evaluate outputs and outcomes of the plan?
7. Conclusion: what do we want for Ireland?
Talk/paper Outline
•
Brief summary of Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry
submission for National Strategy on Dementia
1. Setting the context:
why we need a plan
• Our ageing population
• Programme for government
commitment to National Dementia
Strategy (NDS)
• This paper written from clinical
perspective
1. Setting the context:
why we need a plan
• Key Irish documents:
– An Action Plan for Dementia (O’Shea and
O’Reilly, 1999)
– Implementing Policy for Dementia Care in
Ireland-The Time for Action is Now
(O’Shea, 2007)
– Vision for Change (2006)
2. Principles for the new
plan for Ireland
• Prevention
• Early detection
• Access to best available treatments
2. Principles for the new
plan for Ireland
• Prevention:
– Presentation at advanced stages
– Increased awareness and action on risk
factors
2. Principles for the new
plan for Ireland
• Early detection:
– The role of Primary Care
2. Principles for the new
plan for Ireland
• Access to best available treatments
3. Hearing the voice of the
person with dementia
• The National Dementia Summit (ASI, 2011)
Themes explored:
• Getting a dementia diagnosis
• Adjusting to a diagnosis
• Living well with dementia
• Awareness of dementia and public
perceptions
• Political messages
• Younger onset dementia
4. International dementia
strategies
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England
Northern Ireland
Scotland
France
The Netherlands
5. What could, should and
must be included in the plan
• Should:
– Screening
– Individualised care-plan
– National health policy
– Education and training
– Primary Care
– Specialist services, including Old Age
Psychiatry
5. What could, should and
must be included in the plan
• Should:
– Memory/Cognitive Disorder Clinics
– Home-care solutions
– Clear pathways
– Best practice standards
– Prevention measures
– Research
5. What could, should and
must be included in the plan
• Should:
– Evidence based approaches
– Palliative care
6. How to evaluate outputs
and outcomes of the plan?
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Incidence and prevalence rates
Satisfaction surveys
Access to respite and long-term care
Regional and national variations
Cost-benefit analysis
7. What do we want for
Ireland?
• To build on and coordinate what is
currently available, based on best
international evidence
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Prevention
Early detection and diagnosis
Dementia awareness, education and training
Individualised care-planning
Access to best available treatments
Faculty of Old Age
Psychiatry
• Submission for National Dementia
Strategy
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Awareness
Early diagnosis and intervention
Community-based services
Long-stay residential care
Acute care
Community/Acute/Long-stay residential care
Research
Faculty of Old Age
Psychiatry
• Summary of recommendations
– Fully staffed Old Age Psychiatry services:
one service er 10,000 older people
– Memory/Cognitive Disorder clinics
– Consultation-Liaison services
– Lead in Dementia Care
– National Registry for Dementia
Thank you