Background: Resource allocation decision-making in dementia in Ireland is often characterised as being narrow, implicit and provider-driven, with little knowledge about how priorities are set and addressed, and to what affect. The absence of people with dementia from the decision-making process does much to undermine personhood and citizenship within dementia in Ireland.
Aim: The aim of this study is to address optimality in resource allocation decision-making for people with dementia, thereby facilitating a more person-centred, equitable and visible resource allocation process linked to the National Dementia Strategy that includes the provision of personalised, community-based supports for people with dementia.
Research questions.
What is current resource allocation for people with dementia in Ireland? Who is doing what, when and where?
What is the optimal level and mix of services for different dementia case types in Ireland?
Can we develop stakeholder consensus on optimal care services for complex dementia case types, subject to budget constraints?
What is the cost of optimal community-based provision for different dementia case types?
Plan: A five-phase study has been designed. First, people with dementia will be recruited through a Dementia Advisory Forum to advise on the overall research project. Second a national audit of dementia care will be undertaken using HSE data and Health Atlas Ireland. Third, detailed dementia case types will be generated based on anonymised real-life information obtained from secondary analysis of three databases covering approximately 1,000 people with dementia. Fourth, stakeholder Expert Group decision-making workshops will be convened during which the typical dementia case profiles and service mapping information will be combined to generate optimal care arrangements for people with dementia. The final phase is the modelling of the economic cost associated with optimal resource allocation for each dementia case type. Impact: Improvement in resource allocation decision-making in dementia care in Ireland.
