The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released its Final Report titled Care, Dignity and Respect on March 1, 2021. The release of this report sets the tone for an improved aged care system, paving the way for an improved life across the country for elderly Australians.

The commission touched specifically on elderly dementia care among the many recommendations in the report. In this article, we’ll highlight The Royal Commission’s recommendations, explain Dementia Australia’s response, and show you how Tunstall Healthcare supports these initiatives through Connected Care.

In this article:

•   The Royal Commission’s Dementia Care Recommendations

•   Dementia Australia’s Roadmap for Quality Dementia Care

•   Key Indicators and Timelines of the Dementia Roadmap

•   What can the reader do to help?

The Royal Commission’s Dementia Care Recommendations

In the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s Final Report, two key recommendations highlight the need for improved dementia care.

Establish a support pathway for people with dementia

The Royal Commission recommends that by January 2023, a through-and-through support system must be established for the elderly living with dementia. The Final Report outlines the elements that should be part of this support pathway, including:

•   Up-to-date information and advice on dementia and support services,

•   Access to peer support networks,

•   Education courses, counselling and support services,

•   Assistance with planning for continued independent living, and

•   Access to care, including regular and planned respite for carers.

More importantly, The Royal Commission emphasised the need for this system to provide support to dementia carers and family members. This ensures that dementia care is holistic moving forward, considering the need of both the patient and their social support.

Review the specialist dementia care services

To improve the country’s current specialist dementia care services, The Royal Commission also recommends that the Australian Government do a thorough review by July 2023. The review should show the:

• Number of Specialist Dementia Care Units currently established,

• Number of Specialist Dementia Care Units planned to be established, and whether they can address what’s needed within the areas and populations they are designed to cover,

• The capacity of those Units and whether they can address the needs of people exhibiting extreme changed behaviour and whether any further resources are required, and the

•  Suitability of the Units for shorter-stay respite for people living with moderate to extreme changed behaviour.

The report should be made available to the public upon completing the review. More importantly, the outcomes should be implemented by the Australian Government as a matter of urgency.

Dementia Australia’s Roadmap for Quality Dementia Care

As a response to the commission’s report, Dementia Australia—a non-profit organisation advocating for people living with dementia—developed a roadmap to help the Australian Government act on the recommendations.

In a paper titled the Roadmap for Quality Dementia Care, Dementia Australia identified three focus areas in dementia care that should be improved and how these changes can be implemented.

1. Create dementia support pathways

Similar to the Royal Commission’s recommendations, Dementia Australia also proposed nationalising and centralising people’s access to dementia care through over the phone or the internet. Establishing this ensures that people living with dementia, as well as their family members and carers, have a clear pathway to support their ongoing treatments and other care needs.

2. Build workforce capability

Another focus area touches on empowering the aged care workforce. Dementia Australia wants carers to be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills required to provide quality care and support to those with dementia.

This entails setting up education and training initiatives that will help improve dementia care services in the short term. Through constant education and training, Dementia Australia foresees a sustainable transformation of dementia care practice in the longer term.

3. Implement dementia-friendly design

Lastly, Dementia Australia is also pushing for the development of dementia-friendly environments. Life for the elderly living with dementia is tough; making their homes and communities less difficult to move around in should be a priority.

Designing spaces with dementia patients’ needs in mind requires involved steps. As such, Dementia Australia recommends that building codes be updated to address dementia patients’ needs when satisfying requirements for building any new residential aged care facilities.

Key Indicators and Timeline of the Dementia Roadmap

Dementia Australia has planned their roadmap to span over ten years, with initial steps planned to take place in the first three years.

In the first three years, Dementia Australia hopes to achieve the following steps:

• Implement a short-term single access point or gateway for people living with and impacted by dementia,

• Create new social and peer support programs,

• Roll out comprehensive assessments of the current workforce dementia capability,

• Start developing and implementing dementia practice leaders in every aged care organisation,

• Develop and implement a national dementia education standards framework,

• Develop dementia-friendly physical design standards and a review panel to certify these, and

• Implement an approval process for new-build or renovated services that assess the dementia-inclusive design.

The roadmap’s long-term goals include:

• Establishing a Dementia Helpline number for dementia information, services, and support,

• Implement ongoing review cycles for dementia education standards and courses/content,

• Embed a network of dementia practice leaders in each community,

• Legislate changes in building codes to officiate dementia-friendly design, and

• Standardise review processes that focus on the dementia patient’s physical environment.

Tunstall Connected Care Model for Dementia Management

At Tunstall Healthcare, we are also committed to improving dementia care and management. As such, we continuously innovate our Connected Care solutions, such as personal alarms and fall detectors, to help those who have dementia live healthy, safe, and independent lives. Our dedicated 24/7 Customer Care Centre stands at the ready to assist whenever and wherever needed. We work closely with our clients, carers and allied health providers to deliver better health outcomes for you and your loved ones.

 

Contact us for more information on the best Connected Care services to support you and your loved ones’ dementia management today.