December 2017 NUI Galway Launches Report on Developing and Implementing Dementia Policy in Ireland

The Developing and Implementing Dementia Policy in Ireland report, edited by Professor Eamon O’Shea, Professor Suzanne Cahill and Dr Maria Pierce is a seminal piece of work that offers context, narrative and reflection on the current state of play in relation to dementia in Ireland, covering prevalence, costs, rights, practice and policy for people with dementia.

The report was launched at NUI Galway on (Tuesday 19 December) by Minster of State, Ciarán Cannon TD. Published by the University’s Centre for Economic and Social Research on Dementia, led by Professor Eamon O’Shea, it includes contributions from scholars in Ireland and internationally. The report favours a social insurance model of funding as being the best way to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive system of community-based care for people with dementia.

The Developing and Implementing Dementia Policy in Ireland report is a reflection on various aspects of care for people with dementia in Ireland and internationally with a view to informing future developments in dementia practice and policy. Some chapters are conceptual and build on previous work by the authors contained in the Creating Excellence in Dementia Care Report: a Research Review for Ireland’s National Dementia Strategy published in 2012; others are focused on innovations in the organisation and delivery of care; while the remainder are prospective narratives on what needs to happen in the future. The international dimension of dementia is explicitly covered in the report.

The baseline dementia prevalence estimates in this report suggest that the number of people with dementia in Ireland is currently 55,266. By 2046, the number of people with dementia will have almost trebled to 157,883. The study also estimates that there are currently 60,000 informal caregivers providing support for people with dementia living in the community in Ireland. The overall cost of dementia is estimated at just under €2 billion euro in the report.

Professor Eamon O’Shea from NUI Galway, said: “The ideas presented in this report lay the foundations for the next iteration of the National Dementia Strategy.The report argues that people with dementia want better and timely information on dementia, expanded choice, personalised care, integrated provision and more practical supports for family carers. Providing good quality care that is tailored to the individual needs of older people will be expensive, “requiring a significant expansion in the range of services, improved co-ordination, integration and regulation”, according to Dr Maria Pierce from DCU.

Professor Suzanne Cahill from TCD, said: “Living at home in the community for as long as possible is a universal and desirable goal for all of us, yet home care provision for people with dementia in Ireland is currently weak and many needs remain unmet.”

To read the full report, visit:

http://cesrd.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Developing_and_Implementing_Dementia_Policy_in_Ireland.pdf

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