Introduction
On 28 June 2017, Minister for Mental Health, Maureen Watt, launched Scotland's National Dementia Strategy 2017-2020, outlining the future of dementia policy in the country.
This strategy was the third national strategy published by the Scottish Government, following two previous strategies in 2010 and 2013. The strategy was developed through extensive consultation with stakeholders, including Alzheimer Scotland.
Outline of strategy
Building on the work of the previous strategies, the strategy sets out is key outcomes, including:
- More people have increased say and control over their dementia diagnosis and are diagnosed early enough that they can take as full a part as possible in their own care planning
- More people get earlier access to good quality, person-centred post-diagnostic support in a way that meets their needs and circumstances
- More people with dementia are enabled to live well and safely at home or in a homely setting for as long as they and their family wish
- More people get timely access to good quality palliative and end of life care
- During the process of diagnosis and through all parts of the care journey, the critical input of family carers is encouraged and facilitated, and carers’ own needs are recognised and addressed
- People with dementia’s right to good quality, dignified, safe and therapeutic treatment, care and support is recognised and facilitated equally in all care settings – at home, in care homes or in acute or specialist NHS facilities
- There are more dementia-friendly and dementia-enabled communities, organisations, institutions and initiatives.
To achieve these, 21 commitments are articulated across a range of areas including:
- Continued work on diagnosis and post-diagnostic support
- Testing of new models of care coordination
- A dedicated programme for the training of health and care professionals
- Implementation of a dedicated technology charter
- Support for the clinical and non-clinical research community
- Commissioning of new work on dementia prevalence of dementia.
Further information
Further information on dementia strategy can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/policies/mental-health/dementia/
The national dementia strategy can be downloaded below, alongside the strategies from 2010 and 2013.