Yes. There are many policies for older people in Brazil in which dementia is indirectly and sometimes directly integrated into. Examples are:

– The “National Healthcare Policy for Older People” (Política Nacional de Saúde da Pessoa Idosa) that aims to recover, maintain, and promote autonomy and independence of older people (any Brazilian citizen aged 60 years and over) through collective and individual healthcare measures in line with SUS (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2006b).

– The “National Policy for Primary Care” (Política de Nacional de Atenção Básica) considers changes and updates in the primary care system. The policy emphasizes the importance of the primary care as the main gateway to access the entire public healthcare system (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2012).

– The “Family Healthcare Strategy” (Estratégia de Saúde da Família) aims to promote quality of life for the Brazilian population and intervene in factors that put health at risk, such as lack of physical activity, tobacco smoking, poor diet, etc. Healthcare teams work closely with people, allowing the professionals to know the person, their family, and the neighbourhood (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2019c).

– The “It is Better at Home Program” (Programa Melhor em Casa) is a service indicated for people who have temporary or definitive difficulties to leave home and reach a healthcare unit or for people who depend on home-care services. The program aims to provide the patient with care closer to the family’s routine, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and reducing the risk of infections (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2019h). 

– The “Technical Guidelines for Implementing a Healthcare Pathway for Integral Health for Older People” (Orientações Técnicas para Implementação da Linha de Cuidado para Atenção Integral à Saúde da Pessoa Idosa) was a document developed to orientate Brazilian states, municipalities, and the Federal District regarding how to provide integral healthcare for older people. The guidelines take in consideration both the identification of older people’s healthcare needs and their functional capacity (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2018e).

– The “Training Notebook of Primary Healthcare Professionals for Older People’s Health”  (Caderno de Formação – Ação: Capacitação dos Profissionais da Atenção Básica sobre a Saúde da Pessoa Idosa) is used in trainings of primary healthcare professionals and brings educational information about the general health of older people (including information on dementia) (Brazilian Ministry of Health, 2017a).

References:

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2006b). Política Nacional de Saúde da Pessoa Idosa. Brazilian Ministry of Health.

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2012). Política Nacional de Atenção Básica. http://189.28.128.100/dab/docs/publicacoes/geral/pnab.pdf

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2017a). Caderno de Formação – Ação: Capacitação dos Profissionais da Atenção Básica sobre a Saúde da Pessoa Idosa.

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2018e). Orientações Técnicas para a Implementação de Linha de Cuidado para Atenção integral à Saúde da Pessoa Idosa no Sistema Único de Saúde—SUS. Ministério da Saúde do Brasil.

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2019c). Estratégia Saúde da Família.

Brazilian Ministry of Health. (2019h). Programa Melhor em Casa.