Rebalancing support for people with dementia towards primary and community care with specialist providing guidance and support, is one of the main recommendations coming out of the latest World Alzheimer Report says Alzheimers NZ.

The report is recommending a radical change in to the way healthcare is delivered to people living with dementia.  The report’s authors from the London School of Economics warn that countries like New Zealand are unprepared for a surge in dementia cases and need to take urgent action to deal with the issue.

Catherine Hall from Alzheimers NZ commented that New Zealand does not have a national National Plan for Dementia, unlike the UK, Australia and the United States. The New Zealand Dementia Framework approach is delivering “patchy” results, with the scaling up of primary services inconsistent between District Health Boards and is yet to focus on a consistent case management system.

She argues that having a National Dementia Plan would be the way to convert frameworks into action because it has specific accountabilities, actions and timeframes and without one New Zealand is being left behind and will continue to struggle to meet the needs of people with dementia, their families and their carers.

Alzheimers NZ comment and the full report are on the Alzheimers NZ website.