The Next Steps - Dementia post-diagnostic support guidance

The early stages of dementia are a crucial entry point for post-diagnostic support; where appropriate interventions can enable the person diagnosed and their families to come to terms with the diagnosis, adopt coping strategies, navigate the system and start planning for future care together. To address this, the National Dementia Office (NDO) and the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre (DSIDC) published a guidance document to support health and social care professionals in the establishment, organisation and facilitation of evidence-based Dementia Post-diagnostic Psycho-educational Programmes.

The contents of the guidance document include an outline of the available evidence and good practice in relation to dementia psycho-educational programmes for early intervention. It also provides practical considerations on how to run these programmes and suggestions for session content.

The development of this publication was funded by Dormant Accounts through the Department of Health and is part of the larger Dementia Post-Diagnostic Support Project led by the NDO. The guidance also furthers the National Dementia Strategy’s action area ‘Timely Diagnosis and Early Intervention’.   

You can download an interactive copy of the guidance document here