Strengthening dementia care and support in England: national policies and local care ecosystems: Workstreams 1 and 2

Introduction

People with dementia and their carers need access to good quality and timely care and support.

Objectives

This study has two aims:

1. To understand how the way that dementia care is organised in England today affects the experiences of people living with dementia and their families, and also how this affects their health and wellbeing. The research team are particularly interested in the experiences of some people who may have more difficulties in accessing and using dementia care, perhaps because they live in rural areas with few services or because of their ethnicity or religion.
2. To explore how dementia policies can be made better to improve the lives of people living with dementia, their families and carers.

Methods

The research team will analyse documents that describe how dementia care is organised in England and how it is supposed to be provided across the country. They will speak to people living with dementia and carers in different parts of the country to find out about their experiences of getting support, care and treatment. They will also speak to people who work in giving care or who organise care and support services. As well as finding out about current experiences, they will also ask people living with dementia, carers and professionals about their views on how the local care systems can be improved in the future.

The study will then bring together the information we have gathered about policies, what has been learned about the experiences of individuals with dementia and carers, and also the views of professionals. A plan (a kind of roadmap) will be produced on how to improve care and support for people with dementia and carers by making recommendations for change at both local and national levels. Areas where more research is needed will be highlighted to find ways to improve care.