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Challenges in Dementia Care Policy

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Dementia Care

Abstract

Many people are at risk of having dementia or are already living with it. They live alone or with family and they use many public and private service systems. People with dementia rely on their families and faith communities, grocery stores and banks, as well as health, community, and institutional care. Given the long, slow progress of the dementia, their needs and those of their caregivers become more intense with time. These populations need service systems capable of meeting their unique needs.

Service systems that wish to be dementia-capable should consider adopting key aspects of a model system that would: (1) educate the public about risk factors associated with dementia and symptom management; (2) identify people with possible dementia and ensure an accurate diagnosis; ensure that program eligibility and resource allocation take into account the impact of cognitive disabilities; (3) ensure that staff communicate effectively with people with dementia and their caregivers and provide services that are person and family-centered; (4) educate workers about symptoms of dementia and appropriate communication and services; (5) implement quality assurance systems that measure effectiveness of services; (6) measure how effectively providers serve people with dementia and their caregivers; and (7) encourage development of dementia-friendly communities.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC, USA

    Jane Tilly DrPH

  2. Splaine Consulting, Columbia, MD, USA

    Kate Gordon MSW

Authors
  1. Jane Tilly DrPH
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  2. Kate Gordon MSW
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Correspondence to Jane Tilly DrPH .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. William F. Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA

    Marie Boltz

  2. Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, NEW YORK, Florida, USA

    James E. Galvin

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Tilly, J., Gordon, K. (2016). Challenges in Dementia Care Policy. In: Boltz, M., Galvin, J. (eds) Dementia Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18377-0_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18377-0_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-18376-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-18377-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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