Currently in South Africa persons living with dementia and their families seeking care services from local practices (e.g., local general practitioners) are linked to dementia-care services provided by the NGO-sector and/or specialists in the private sector. These links are dependent on these local practices/individuals. Persons seeking help from PHC within the public sector may be referred to the Department of Social Development (DSD), who in turn relies on social partnerships with the NGO-sector to link individuals with community-based services. DSD may provide subsidies to these NGOs as a source of funding for services provided, and as a way of maintaining these links. There is policy support for designating responsibility for the provision of services to older persons by a third party, for example, the Older Person’s Act (no.13 of 2006, chapter 2, section 8(1)(a), p.6) indicates that the minister “…may provide financial awards to service providers that provide social services to older persons from funds appropriated by Parliament for that purpose” (Government Gazette, 2006). There was no information found to what extent this actually happens with regard to dementia-specific community-based services.

References:

Government Gazette. (2006). Older Persons Act, No.13 of 2006 (Vol. 13, Issue 1098). Available from: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/other/2012/3/older_persons_act.pdf