Scottish dementia strategy editorial

The effects of exposure to scenarios about dementia on stigma and attitudes toward dementia care in a Chinese community

“…As reducing stigma has been recognized as a key strategy to dementia care across countries (e.g. UK Department of Health, 2009;Brodaty and Cumming, 2010;Connelly, 2010), it is important to investigate if the current findings are replicated in other cultural contexts.…”

“…Globally, stigma against mental illness is widely held and is more common than that against chronic physical illnesses (Crisp et al, 2000;Lee et al, 2005). Compared to other forms of mental illness such as schizophrenia, dementia is seldom the subject of scholarly research in the area of stigma, despite the fact that dementia stigma is recognized to be widespread in international communities (UK Department of Health, 2009;Umegaki et al, 2009;Blay and Peluso, 2010;Chiu et al, 2010;Connelly, 2010). Stigma is an important issue because it promotes social exclusion rather than a caring community, and deters help-seeking by patients and caregivers (Link and Phelan, 1999;Corrigan, 2004;Rüsch et al, 2005;UK Department of Health, 2009).…”

A review of Canadian and international dementia strategies

“…Care coordination was a theme in 17 of the 22 strategies (14 national and 3 provincial); these emphasized ensuring that all care providers and settings communicated with each other following an interaction with a person with dementia, allowing for seamless transitions between care settings and a less stressful care journey. [4][5][6][7][8][9]11,12,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Person-centred care…”

“…Nineteen of the 22 (14 national and 5 provincial) strategies discussed the importance of stronger community supports for persons with dementia that could provide practical and emotional support, reduce social isolation, promote self-care, and provide a source of information for future healthcare decisions. [4][5][6][7]9,10,12,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Improving the support and resources available for individuals with early-onset dementia was a theme in 4 of the national strategies. 10,18,21,22,29 These frameworks stressed the importance of having resources and services available for individuals early in the course of the illness to better prepare them for future challenges and to inform them of services available.…”

“…Many of these strategies suggest supports, such as access to respite services, coping strategies, and peer supports. 5,6,11,12,14,[16][17][18][19][20][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] Housing/home support Keeping persons with dementia at home for as long as possible and out of the healthcare/long-term care system was highlighted in 8 strategies (7 national and 1 provincial) that recommended increased home-based supports, including home modifications and a wider range of home care and rehabilitation services. 10,12,13,[18][19][20]23,29 Improved long-term care homes…”