The Law Project 4364/2020, states support for family carers. However, there is no detailed information on how this would be done. Currently, there are no areas for action in this category. This is left to the families themselves and to the primary care units.

As mentioned in the Mental Health Review Report (MHRR), coordinated medical and social care services for both persons with dementia and family carers are essential elements for promoting the goal of age in place. The report proposes a recommendation on enhancing support for family carers to allow them to engage in other living activities and continue in their role effectively.

• “Recommendation 10 – Support for carers should be enhanced. This includes providing them with structured and accessible information, skills to assist in caring, respite to enable engagement in other activities so that they can continue in their role effectively” (Food and Health Bureau, 2017a, p. 189).

The Elderly Services Programme Plan (ESPP) proposes four recommendations which promote a greater flexibility, variety, and choices of supportive services, such as the expansion of services to cover odd hours and holidays, in order to meet specific caring needs among older people and their family carers.

• “Recommendation 5a – Designated respite places and casual vacancies should be fully utilised to strengthen the support to carers. Improvement should be made to facilitate timely access to services” (Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, 2017, p. 25).
• “Recommendation 5b – Transitional care support to elderly persons discharged from hospitals should be enhanced to assist them to stay in the community and prevent premature institutionalisation” (Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, 2017, p. 25).
• “Recommendation 5c – Emergency placement services should continue to target on elderly persons with urgent care needs and under unforeseen or crisis situation, such as those with immediate care needs due to social reasons” (Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, 2017, p. 26).
• “Recommendation 5e – Day respite that integrates formal and informal system of care at neighbourhood level should be strengthened” (Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, 2017, p. 26).

References:

Food and Health Bureau. (2017a). Mental Health Review Report.  Retrieved from https://www.fhb.gov.hk/download/press_and_publications/otherinfo/180500_mhr/e_mhr_full_report.pdf.

Working Group on Elderly Services Programme Plan, Elderly Commission of Government of Hong Kong SAR,. (2017). Elderly Services Programme Plan. Hong Kong: Elderly Commission of Government HKSAR Retrieved from https://www.elderlycommission.gov.hk/en/download/library/ESPP_Final_Report_Eng.pdf.

Not applicable.

Support for carers is outlined under both, the second action step, indicated by the description of a support group for caregivers and the fourth action step, indicated through a guideline and training for caregivers (Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, 2015b).

References:

Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia. (2015b). National Strategy: Management of Alzheimer and Other Dementia Diseases: Towards Healthy and Productive Older Persons. Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia.

Not applicable.

It emphasises that the recognition and support to professional and family caregivers is vital to maintain quality care of patients.

NZ Dementia Framework:

Family and whānau support are specifically mentioned in the framework as an overarching factor that needs to be provided across all areas and stages of dementia care. It outlines the need for an easily accessible and navigable service provided by appropriately skilled staff and the importance of encouraging participation at all points of service provision. Woven throughout the key elements are good practice points for how to best educate, inform, and involve whānau at each stage of the dementia process.

Dementia Action plan:

A priority action area of the dementia plan is “Supporting people living with dementia and their family/whānau care partners/supporters to live their best possible lives” so that “people with dementia and their family/whānau care partners/supporters can enjoy more full, active and meaningful lives”.

Associated objectives include recommendations for dementia navigation services as well as whānau support and flexibility across a variety of settings such as home, day activities, respite, and residential care.