The problem

Around 60,000 people in Ireland are currently living with dementia. This is expected to rise to 150,000 by 2050. Discrimination and stigma are still major issues for some people with dementia in Ireland and internationally. The challenge is to develop future care models that support ‘personhood’ and the human rights of people with dementia.

 
The project

With funding from the HRB and Atlantic Philanthropies, the Centre for Economic and Social Research on Dementia (CESRD) at the University of Galway is gathering evidence about the economics, psychology, public attitudes, and social policy of existing and future dementia care in Ireland.

The outcomes

  • Since 2015, the Centre has produced more than 40 academic, peer-reviewed publications and 20 policy reports about allocating resources and setting priorities in dementia care in Ireland
  • We now have evidence that citizens in Ireland are in favour of supporting person-centred dementia care through additional taxes to support new programmes for people with dementia and family carers
  • Researchers at the Centre are working directly with people living with dementia and with health agencies and policymakers to develop new policies that make a difference to people with dementia and their family carers, especially about providing home care
  • In 2018, CESRD nominated health activist and disability rights campaigner Dr Helen Rochford-Brennan, who has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, to receive an honorary doctorate from University of Galway. This raised public awareness of the importance of the voice of the person with dementia and demonstrated its enormous potential.

Eamon O’Shea, Professor of Economics at University of Galway, HRB Research Leader in Dementia and Director of CESRD, says:

“The HRB funding has allowed us to scale up our research on dementia care. Standouts from that expanded research include: building a strong portfolio of work on the economics of dementia care; developing impactful relationships with patients and policymakers; showing that citizens in Ireland value personhood, respect, dignity, voice, choice and autonomy in dementia care; and that as a nation we are willing to invest in such care.”

“Preparing Ireland to support ‘personhood’ in dementia care” is part of a wider collection of success stories across four themes from this year’s annual Health Research in Action. Download the full publication.