Bupa, the largest international provider of specialist dementia care and Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), the global federation of Alzheimer's associations, in 2013, joined forces to publish a global report to urge policy-makers to create National Dementia Plans. According to Bupa and ADI, plans help governments ensure that health and social care systems are adequately structured and funded to ensure high quality care and support be available to people living with dementia today and in the future.
Their analysis provides an insight into the content of existing National Dementia Plans and advice on how to develop one, and review factors that might affect implementation. Based on analysis, the report advises on developing a plan and reviews factors that might affect implementation. The first category of Best Practice was that of Content, which includes:
- Improve awareness and education
- Improve (early) diagnosis and treatment
- Improve support available at home
- Strengthen support available to family members
- Improve residential/institutional care
- Better integrate care pathways and the coordination of care
- Improve training for healthcare professionals
- Monitor progress
- Commitment to research
- Recognize the role of innovative technologies
We believe this is an excellent checklist for any organization to build their own comprehensive Dementia Plan. While government initiatives are certainly important, their is urgency across the spectrum of elder and healthcare spectrum to implement plans now.
As we look at 2017, it is our hope that every institution of higher learning be placing dementia education for clinicians, medical students, and allied health professionals at the top of their list; that eldercare providers empower each and every front line caregiver with tools to improve communications and care practices to improve resident's quality of life; that non-profits engage outreach family education programs that provides support, and helps reduces stress for families struggling to deal with the challenges of living with dementia; and that every hospital has solid action plans in place to become dementia friendly in 2017.
A plan is just that - the structure with which to take the next step of outcomes-driven transformation and positive change. We look forward to a great year of collaboration as we usher in a year of innovation in dementia care training.
