Guideposts Dementia Information Prescription has been saved
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Guideposts Dementia Information Prescription
Evaluation of its impact on care providers and service users
May 2014
Post-diagnostic support is key to the effective management and care of people with dementia and their carers. Over the last few years, a number of approaches to post-diagnostic support have emerged, but to date, there has been limited evaluation of their effectiveness. This Deloitte Centre for Health Solutions report evaluates one approach, Dementia Information Prescription, developed by the Guideposts Trust.
Key findings
The evaluation found an overwhelmingly positive support for the DIP as an effective post-diagnostic support tool with 87% of care providers (including GPs) considering it either very good or excellent. The DIP was seen as user-friendly with approximately 76% of carers using it to find information on local healthcare support and 91% of people with dementia and their carers likely or extremely likely to use the DIP again.
Whilst the DIP is only one of a number of Dementia support tools available, it demonstrates the demand for post diagnostic information, how much it is needed and valued, particularly the ease of access for up-to-date information customised to each locality. Given the political and provider consensus that post-diagnostic support is critical to the effective management and care of people with dementia and their carers, what is now needed, is agreement on how to provide that support.
This evaluation suggests that the DIP is an effective way of delivering such support.
