Policy Series: Dementia Care Policy and Practice: Early Detection, Living Alone, and Nonpharmacological Interventions

TL;DR

This paper discusses dementia care policies focusing on early detection, living alone, and non-drug treatments to improve care practices and policy decisions.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of dementia care policy challenges and opportunities, emphasizing new insights for improving care practices.

Findings

The symposium highlights gaps in care for people with dementia living alone.

It explores arguments for and against early detection of dementia.

The paper emphasizes the importance of nonpharmacological interventions in dementia care.

Abstract

Dementia is a public health priority with a wide range of implications for policy and practice. Nations, states, and local communities address dementia in many different fields of policy and practice. This symposium builds on a recent thematic issue of Public Policy & Aging Report to address important opportunities and challenges for policy and practice regarding dementia, including arguments for and against early detection, gaps in care for people with dementia who live alone, and measuring outcomes of nonpharmacological interventions. The symposium comprehensively reviews the policy landscape for dementia and by focusing on unique challenges and opportunities related to dementia care, this symposium brings to light more and less successful policy and practice initiatives, highlights emerging issues and concerns, and provides a forum for discussion and policy debate, including discussion of alternative policy options. This symposium will serve as a launchpad for disseminating new knowledge on dementia care policy and practice, facilitating dementia care policy and practice comparisons and collaboration, and shaping the future of policy and practice regarding care for people living with dementia.