Involve people with dementia in all care decisions

New NICE recommendations focusing on person-centred support set a particular emphasis on involving people with dementia in every decision about the care they receive.

With dementia often presenting itself differently from patient to patient, the new guidance highlights the need to properly train staff and says that carers should be helped to improve support for people living with dementia, outlining how various forms of dementia may affect individuals in different ways and how support will therefore be adapted for each person.

Whilst everyone diagnosed with dementia should have an individual care plan that is reviewed at least once a year, Age UK recently found that one in three people with the condition do not have a care plan. Separate data from more than 7,000 GP practices in England showed that, out of 450,000 people diagnosed with dementia in November 2017, under 300,000 had a care review in the preceding year.

NICE therefore advises health and social care professionals to develop this much needed care and support plan by involving the person, their family or carers and relevant professionals in decisions making.

There are over 850,000 people in the UK with dementia, and this figure is expected to double in the next 30 years.