Approximately 82,000 people were diagnosed with dementia in Scotland in 2011. Around 3,500 of these people were under the age of 65. The numbers of people with dementia in Scotland are expected to rise to 164,000 by 2036.Dementia is a particular priority for the Scottish Government. Those caring for people with dementia are at risk of experiencing mental health problems themselves, so the rising levels of dementia will have a double impact.In 2010, the Scottish Government published its National Dementia Strategy (external website), which sets out its commitment to delivering world-class dementia services in Scotland by:
The Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland (external website) were published by the Scottish Government in June 2011 and they set out Scotland’s National Dementia Strategy.
Key to the support of people with dementia is the availability of high quality information. NICE guidelines recommend that information is tailored to the needs of the individual, culturally appropriate and accessible. The national dementia strategy also highlights the importance of information in improving understanding of the benefits of early diagnosis.In addition to work to improve treatment services for older people experiencing dementia, there is a need to increase awareness raising and education among professionals and the general public, alongside preventative efforts, building on the evidence of risk reduction (external website) related to healthy eating, physical and cognitive activity.Mental health improvement has a contribution to make to this work, by improving the awareness and education of health and social care staff and the general public.
The following dementia resources have been published by NHS Health Scotland (external website):
The worried about your memory booklet (external website) is aimed at helping people concerned about their memory, to decide whether they should see a doctor.
The handbook for carers (external website) gives advice on how to provide the best possible care for someone in the middle to late stages of dementia, and offers practical suggestions. It aims to help carers to feel less alone, give advice on coping and help to make caring more rewarding and less stressful.
For those who are either worried about dementia or who have been diagnosed with it, the facing dementia booklet (external website) provides reassurance and practical steps to improve or maintain dignity and quality of life.
This popular booklet helps young people to understand what dementia is (external website), how to cope with the effects of a person’s illness and, if necessary, where to find help.
Working in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland (external website) and the Scottish Dementia Working Group (external website), NHS Health Scotland produced the 'Coping with dementia’ and ‘Facing dementia’ booklets in DVD format:
The Coping with Dementia (external website) DVD helps carers to understand dementia and provides practical suggestions about caring for someone in the middle to late stages of dementia.Coping with dementia is also available in British Sign Language (BSL) format (external website).
This living well with dementia DVD (external website) is aimed at people who have just received a diagnosis of dementia. It is based on the experiences of people with dementia and their carers, using their voices to share experience around how to ‘live well’ after diagnosis. It also offers practical advice on coping with its effects.
Copies of the resources have been given to NHS Health Boards, Alzheimer Scotland and other partners. Individual copies are available from NHS Health Scotland and the Alzheimer Scotland helpline (0808 808 3000).