About this toolkit

GP practices open the door to diagnosis, information, support, planning, and ongoing management and review for people with dementia and those who care for them.

This support is vital. For people with dementia, day-to-day tasks become more challenging and it becomes increasingly difficult to live well – challenges that only increase as the condition progresses.

Dementia often impacts on the ability to manage other conditions as well, and most people with dementia are living with another long-term health condition.

People with dementia can experience difficulties in attending general practice, which can create barriers when even the best care and support is in place. They may experience difficulties with:

• not remembering to attend appointments
• using technology to attend virtual appointments
• navigating telephone systems
• using technology to book appointments and order medication
• navigating the physical environment of the practice
• not being able to express their concerns in the short time available with the GP
• not recalling details of discussions regarding their care.

If people with dementia and their carers do not receive the care and support they need, this can impact not only on their quality of life and health, but can also impact on the usage of primary care, emergency admissions to hospitals and transition to residential care.

What are the benefits for general practice?

A dementia friendly general practice has many benefits, including:

• improving quality of care and support for people with dementia and their carers
• improving quality of care and support for other patients, especially other vulnerable groups
• supporting national frameworks and standards for dementia including: Scotland’s National Dementia Strategies, Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland, Charter of Rights for People with Dementia and Carers in Scotland and the Promoting Excellence Education Framework
• meeting National Health and Social Care Standards
• fulfilling any strategic inspection requirements
• reducing missed appointments and repeat appointments
• increasing dementia awareness and understanding for all practice staff, as well as contributing to personal development and job satisfaction.