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Dementia is a complex illness that impacts on the lives of 84,000 people in Scotland with the condition, their families and carers. The experience of the illness is subjective and unique to each individual. Effectively tackling the symptoms and consequences of dementia requires a coordinated range of health and social care interventions.
This report sets out an integrated and comprehensive, evidence-based approach to supporting people with dementia living at home during the moderate to severe stages of the illness.
The 8 Pillars Model of Community Support
The 8 Pillars Model will build the resilience of people with dementia and their carers to enable them to live in the community for as long as possible. It builds on the one year post-diagnostic support guarantee, to ensure the impact of the investment in early intervention is not lost.
Each factor of the illness influences every other factor, and impacts on the overall health and wellbeing of the person and his or her carer. Excess disability is created when people with dementia do not receive appropriate care and treatment for the symptoms of the illness. Without the right support, there is a gap between how people actually function and how they could potentially function. The 8 Pillars Model will provide each person with the best possible support to live in their own home.
The integration of health and social care provides an opportunity to create a structured, coordinated and strategic approach to community support for people with dementia and their carers. The 8 Pillars Model provides local authorities and NHS boards with a blueprint for restructuring integrated dementia care so that resources are used to greatest effect.