DESK REVIEWS | 07.01.06. Are there dedicated services supporting people with dementia after a diagnostic of dementia?

DESK REVIEW | 07.01.06. Are there dedicated services supporting people with dementia after a diagnostic of dementia?

No, there is no such service specifically dedicated to dementia. However, any person can have access to mental health care if they need.

Yes. The Hong Kong Alzheimer’s Disease Association, a self-financing NGO, is providing dementia-specific services, including day care services and non-pharmacological interventions provided by 4-day centres and in-home services. Moreover, at least 9 other NGOs have been providing self-financing dementia-specific centres/services in the community, including: 1) CFSC Mind: Delight Memory and Cognitive Training Centre; 2) ELCHK Smart Club; 3) HKSR Community Rehabilitation Network; 4) Jockey Club Centre for Positive Ageing; 5) Pok Oi Hospital Day Centre for the Elderly (Yuen Long); 6) St James’ Settlement Kin Chi Dementia Care Support Service Centre; 7) TWGHs Circle of Care – Community Support Network for Elders with Dementia; 8) Yan Chai Hospital Yim Tsui Yuk Shan Active Mind Centre; and 9) Yan Oi Tong Clarea Au Eldergarten (The Hong Kong Alzheimer’s Disease Association, 2020).

The Dementia Community Support Scheme, a publicly funded programme implemented by the Food and Health Bureau, Hospital Authority, and Social Welfare Department, was also designed exclusively for people with dementia. Through medical-social collaboration, people with dementia who receive diagnosis in public hospitals are referred to a district elderly community centre for interventions and carers training. Services for everyone are provided according to the individualised care plan formulated by professionals from both the healthcare and social care sectors.

References:

The Hong Kong Alzheimer’s Disease Association. (2020). Organizations provided dementia-related service in Hong Kong. Retrieved from https://www.eng.hkada.org.hk/useful-links

There are limited dedicated dementia day-care centres, respite care, and long-term care homes across the country situated mainly in urban locations or metropolitan cities. In 2010, there were about 6 residential care facilities, 10 day-care centres with medical attention and supervision, 6 domiciliary care services providing care at home, 100 memory clinics and 10 dementia help-lines across India (Alzheimer’s & Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), 2010). The numbers are gradually increasing due to an increase in awareness and greater need for dementia services (Kishore, 2019a).

Table 7.2 Dementia day-care centres in India

Serial No. City Specification Number of day cares
1 Bangalore Three day-care/active ageing centres managed by the Nightingales Medical Trust/ ARDSI Bangalore Chapter 3
2 Chennai Dignity Day Care by Dignity Chennai, and Day care of DEMCARES (SCARF) 3
3 Delhi/ NCR Managed by ARDSI Delhi Chapter 1
4 Guwahati Managed by ARDSI Guwahati Chapter 1
5 Hyderabad Dementia Activity Centre by ARDSI Hyderabad-Deccan, AND Red-Cross – Nightingales Trust Dementia Day Care Centre 2
6 Kochi ARDSI Comprehensive Dementia Day Care Centre by ARDSI Kochi Chapter 1
7 Kolkata Smriti Sudhay by ARDSI Kolkata Chapter 1
8 Mumbai Smriti Vishvam by ARDSI Mumbai Chapter, Aarambh by Aaji Care 4
9 Pune Rainbow Day Care, Sanctus Rehabilitation Care Foundation (SRCF), Ananddham, JyesthaNagrikVirangula Kendra 4
10  Patna Day Care Centre by Helpage 1
11  Thrissur Smruthipadham (day care) at Kunnamkulam 1
      Total- 22

Source (Kishore, 2019a)

There are few other dementia daycares run by private and other organisations such as Nema Elder care (Gurgaon), Kriti Elder care (Gurgaon), Samarth (Mumbai), Varista (Mumbai), Dignity Dementia Day Care Centre (Chennai), Demcare – Centre for Active Aging (Chennai) and other which are not listed.

References:

Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India. (2010). THE DEMENTIA INDIA REPORT 2010: Prevalence, impact, cost and services for dementia. New Delhi. Available from: https://ardsi.org/pdf/annual%20report.pdf

Kishore, S. (2019a). Dementia Caregiver Resources across India | Dementia Care Notes. Available from: https://dementiacarenotes.in/resources/india/

No, there are no dedicated services supporting people with dementia after a diagnostic assessment. However, first steps to develop these kinds of services have been made locally. The PERDOSSI guideline provides scientific recommendation regarding a variety of nonpharmacological approaches to dementia (PERDOSSI, 2015), but it does not advise where these dementia-specific services could be accessed in Indonesia.

In addition, there are several institutions offering dedicated services for people with dementia in Indonesia. These include the Adiyuswa Senior Day Care in Radjiman Wediodiningrat Psychiatric Hospital, Lawang, East Java (RSJ Dr. Radjiman Wediodiningrat, 2016), and RUKUN Senior offers a Dementia Day Care Programme in RUKUN Dementia Support Centre Cipete, Jakarta and RUKUN Senior Care, Sentul, West Java (RUKUN Senior Living, n.d.-a). General geriatric support services not specific for dementia are more widely available.

Furthermore, the private hospital chain Siloam has established a Memory and Aging Centre in April 2016 (Siloam Hospitals, n.d.). MAC claims to not only serve patients with dementia, but also as a place of development, medical services, research, which aims to be integrated with patient care in the long run (Handayani, 2016).

References:

Handayani, I. (2016). Siloam Hadirkan Pusat Layanan Pasien Demensia.

PERDOSSI. (2015). Panduan Praktik Klinik: Diagnosis dan Penatalaksanaan Demensia. PERDOSSI.

RSJ Dr. Radjiman Wediodiningrat. (2016). Psikogeriatri – Klinik Daycare ADIYUSWA. http://rsjlawang.com/main/fasilitas/psikogeriatri

RUKUN Senior Living. (n.d.-a). Dementia Day Program. Retrieved September 7, 2019, from https://rukunseniorliving.com/dementia-day-program/

Siloam Hospitals. (n.d.). Memory Clinic.

The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Organization in Kenya provides support services to persons with dementia, especially their carers, and equips them with skills necessary to care for the persons with dementia (Alzheimer’s & Dementia Organization Kenya (ADOK), 2019).

References:

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Organization Kenya (ADOK). (2019). Training. https://alzkenya.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ADOK_Newsletter.pdf

Mexico does not have dedicated services supporting people with dementia.

NASC agencies coordinate the ongoing support services for people with dementia. Additional support is provided by NGO’s such as regional branches of Alzheimer’s NZ and Dementia NZ.

Dedicated services for persons living with dementia are provided by the NGO-sector and typically comprise of psycho-educational support, training of caregivers, and linking to support groups for persons living with dementia and their families. NGOs work in collaboration with multiple organisations and partners to provide services to families.

Government mental health services include support from mental health practitioners (e.g., psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses) to those who enter service systems, with further referral to the NGO-sector (e.g., for family and caregiver support) or private sector (counselling, specialist medical intervention) for care when public sector resources are unable to meet service needs. There are no known support services dedicated specifically to persons living with dementia after diagnosis and their families from government outside of generic provisions for older persons in general, and that which is provided through overburdened mental health care facilities. A memory-clinic study in Cape Town revealed that 79% of patients’ care were located within the family (Kalula et al., 2010), with unpaid female carers being the most typical care-providers in South Africa (Lloyd-Sherlock, 2019b).

References:

Kalula, S. Z., Ferreira, M., Thomas, K. G. F., De Villiers, L., Joska, J. A., & Geffen, L. N. (2010). Profile and management of patients at a memory clinic. South African Medical Journal, 100(7), 449. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.3384

Lloyd-Sherlock, P. (2019b). Long-term Care for Older People in South Africa: The Enduring Legacies of Apartheid and HIV/AIDS. Journal of Social Policy, 48(1), 147–167. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279418000326