The Fife Dementia Strategy: 2010 – 2020 - The Knowledge Network

4.10 Long Term Care Facilities
AIM
People living with dementia in long term care receive quality care which
meets their needs. Care is provided by well trained staff, in an appropriate
environment and with meaningful activities. Each facility will be supported by a
specialist mental health liaison service, and will work improve communication
between residents’ families and make greater efforts to integrate into the local
communities. Council owned care homes will act as centres for care, where
information is shared amongst care at home, short break and long term care
services that provide a complete spectrum of care in and for the community.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO ACHIEVE THIS
4.10.1 Staff at all levels are educated and supported to provide
individualised care, and designated dementia care facilitators are
identified within each facility.
In Fife services continue to be developed to meet the needs of an increasing
number of people living with dementia in the community, however it is
recognised that for some people with dementia living in a long term care
facility may be the most appropriate and effective way of meeting their
individual needs. There are a number of facilities within Fife that provide a
high standard of care for people with dementia; however, as highlighted by the
recent report Remember, I’m Still Me 56 , this is a minority.
Currently there is an estimated 5700 people with dementia living in Fife.
Approximately 63.5% of these people live in their own home in the community,
while the remaining 36.5% live in long term care 57 . An estimated 700 people
living in long term care with dementia have not received a medical diagnosis
of dementia 58 . Consultations in Fife have shown that long term care staff
recognise that a number of people have undiagnosed dementia, but they feel
that there is ‘no real point’ in getting a diagnosis. This is not true as there are
benefits in diagnosing progressed cases of dementia including increased
understanding of the person and potentially their behaviour, reduction in
Long Term Care Facilities - A term used to refer to an array of residential
facilities which provide long term care. These commonly include care
homes (residential and nursing) as well as long stay and continuing care
wards in hospital. Other, non-residential services which provide long term
care are addressed in Care at Home (4.7) and Short Breaks (4.9).
56 Care Commission & Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (2009). Remember, I’m Still
Me.
57 Alzheimer’s Society (2007). Dementia UK.
58 Alzheimer Scotland. (2007). The Dementia Epidemic – Where Scotland is now and the
challenge ahead. Edinburgh.
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