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 25 th 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 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? 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 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 –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