Report shows the need for dementia home support

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (The ASI) has launched the evaluation of their Day Care at Home (DCAH) Service report which highlights significant positive benefits for people living with dementia and their families.

The DCAH service is a dementia-specific service delivered by ASI care staff. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the ASI to temporarily close all its Day Care Centres and suspend vital face-to-face supports. DCAH was a response to provide an alternative model of care and support to people with dementia and families. The need for the service soon became apparent.

It provides one-to-one stimulation, personalised activities, and socialisation to people living with dementia while offering respite to their families for a set number of hours every week.

The evaluation of the service was led by Dr Emma O’Shea at The Centre for Gerontology & Rehabilitation, University College Cork (UCC).

‘Day Care at Home is one of the first services to truly meet the unique and varied social care needs of people with dementia, and the respite needs of their caregivers, within the clients’ own homes and communities,’ said Dr O’Shea. ‘The evaluation showed that this service adds substantial value to the dementia care landscape in Ireland, keeping people meaningfully engaged socially, and in activities that they enjoy. The main problem identified by the evaluation is that the need and demand for DCAH services currently far exceeds the supply.’

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is the leading dementia-specific service provider in Ireland. For more on the services they provide, see alzhemier.ie