This book is all about dementia in Ireland and what has and has not been happening in a country where dementia has been a taboo topic for so long. In particular it examines the dementia landscape since late 2014, following the launch of Ireland's first National Dementia Strategy. A lot has happened in Ireland since that time but a lot more needs to happen for people to live well with dementia and have their human rights upheld. There are an estimated 55,000 Irish people living with dementia and these figures are set to triple by 2050. Although topics explored in the book,such as obtaining a diagnosis, accessing home care services and moving from home into a nursing home relate to Ireland, they are discussed against the backdrop of policy, practice and research developments in dementia in other parts of the world. In this way the book provides the reader with a wealth of information including research evidence, best practice guidelines and international expertise. The book has been dedicated to Mnanah 'Eireann, in recognition of the hard physical and emotional work, caregivers,mostly women do behind closed doors. Throughout the book, an appeal is made for more state support to be given to these formal and informal caregivers.

The time has come to further challenge biomedical and clinical thinking about dementia, which has for so long underpinned policy and practice. Framing dementia as a disability, this book takes a rights-based approach to expand the debate. Applying a social constructionist lens, it builds on earlier critical perspectives by bringing together concepts including disability, social inclusion, personhood, equality, participation, dignity, empowerment, autonomy and solidarity. Launching the debate into new and exciting territory, the book argues that people living with dementia come within the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and therefore have full entitlement to all the rights the Convention enshrines. A human rights-based approach has not to date been fully applied to interrogate the lived experience and policy response to dementia. With the fresh analytical tools provided in this book, policy makers and practitioners will will gain new insights into how this broader perspective can be used to further promote the quality of life and quality of care for all those affected by dementia.

The time has come to further challenge biomedical and clinical thinking about dementia, which has for so long underpinned policy and practice. Framing dementia as a disability, this book takes a rights-based approach to expand the debate. Applying a social constructionist lens, it builds on earlier critical perspectives by bringing together concepts including disability, social inclusion, personhood, equality, participation, dignity, empowerment, autonomy and solidarity. Launching the debate into new and exciting territory, the book argues that people living with dementia come within the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and therefore have full entitlement to all the rights the Convention enshrines. A human rights-based approach has not to date been fully applied to interrogate the lived experience and policy response to dementia. With the fresh analytical tools provided in this book, policy makers and practitioners will will gain new insights into how this broader perspective can be used to further promote the quality of life and quality of care for all those affected by dementia.

For the increasing number of people diagnosed with dementia each year, treatment in the early stages can make a significant difference to their quality of life. This book provides examples of psychosocial interventions: taking into consideration the individual, social and environmental aspects of the person's life. It looks at ways of providing support at the time of diagnosis and goes on to explore a variety of interventions and services for the treatment of early dementia. Bringing together the knowledge and experiences of professionals from both the UK and Europe, the contributors describe interventions for both psychological and practical problems with case examples such as memory support groups, art therapies and assistive technologies for use in the home. This accessible book will be essential reading for practitioners and carers working with those with early dementia and will be extremely useful in both professional development and for those new to dementia care.

The volume has ambitious scope and covers almost all potential supports and services. Most of the chapters have been written by professionals who work with people with dementia and their families, and most are British social workers and professionals allied-to-medicine (occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy).' - Ageing and Society 'Marshall, in her introduction, states that the aim of the book is to strengthen the link between rehabilitation and dementia and to encourage the understanding that people with dementia do benefit from rehabilitation and treatment. The book clearly meets this aim with the contributors offering convincing arguments for the conceptualisation of dementia care as rehabilitation and the potential for improvements in symptoms and in quality of life for people with dementia... The book is accessible, easy to read, informative and provides practical information and new ideas useful for practitioners, services providers, commissioners and policy makers.' - Social Policy 'This book has much to offer a range of professionals and those teaching them at post-qualifying levels.' - Journal of Interprofessional Care 'The chapters give us a real and honest appraisal of the pains and possibilities of dementia. And David Jolley ends his chapter with what could be seen as a surprising statement that "Life with dementia is worth Living". His ideas sum up the tone of the book which asserts that people with dementia still have much to give but need help in order to maintain health, safety and dignity, and offers various practical therapeutic models that have been worked out in different settings... throughout the book we are encouraged to keep the person with dementia at the centre of care and to see them as a unique individual with a disability who needs help.' - Perspectives on Rehabilitation and Dementia 'Service planners could gain from dipping in to this collection and testing the extent to which their current plans reflect the thinking shared by the authors. The importance of team working is stated throughout, and in an era of partnership working this provides yet another useful policy book on which to hang revised plans' - Community Care 'Contributions from people with dementia and their families provide the central core of the text and anchor it firmly in reality. There is a unanimously positive approach to rehabilitation. Many of the authors focus on self esteem and confidence with many references to the need of teamwork. They also share the positive view of people with dementia, which concentrates on personhood focussing upon the whole person, drawing upon their strengths as well as taking into account declining abilities in some areas. This book is strongly recommended for health care professions, particularly nursing courses.' - London Centre for Dementia Care News 'The book explores the positive outcomes for people with dementia in terms of quality of life and self-esteem, especially if rehabilitation is seen as a positive philosophy of practice as well as a set of skills and approaches. It includes many different perspectives from a diverse group of professionals, carers and practitioners, and people with dementia themselves.' - Working with Older People Perspectives on Rehabilitation and Dementia offers new insights into the application of a well-established approach and set of skills to a group of people who have traditionally been thought not to benefit from them. Indeed people with dementia have missed out on physical and psychological rehabilitation very substantially. This book demonstrates that rehabilitation has positive outcomes for people with dementia in terms of quality of life and self-esteem, especially if rehabilitation is seen as a positive philosophy of practice as well as a set of skills and approaches. The perspectives in this book are those of a very diverse group of professionals, carers, and people with dementia themselves. Professional backgrounds and the settings in which they work are diverse and include both academics and practitioners. The voices of people with dementia underline the importance of seeing how they understand rehabilitation for themselves. Professionals in almost all caring professions - nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, acute, geriatric and psychiatric medicine, psychology, social work and rehabilitation - will increasingly find themselves working with people with dementia. They need to be alert to the latest thinking on approaches and interventions. This book provides a readable course text for understanding both their own professional contribution and that of others in the team.