Dementia underrepresented in local housing policies
Dementia needs should be positioned more central to the current framework of housing and health rather than in the margins, according to an independent review. it also found little consideration of BAME and LGBTQ+ which impacts on the ability to consider all aspects of a person's identity to provide truly person-centred care for those with dementia.
Analysis of annual Disabled Facilities Grant data reveals that the proportion of adaptations being implemented for people with dementia as their primary disability are low (only 3%), yet often people with dementia are faced with multiple co-morbidities. Therefore, these adaptations are being done for people with dementia yet without their dementia being fully taken into consideration.
Survey responses from both local authorities and Occupational Therapists around the country indicates that more thorough, widespread and regular dementia-specific training is required within all workforces involved in the provision of the Disabled Facilities Grant.
But there are examples where good practice is emerging. South Oxfordshire have trained their staff and now offer funding to pay for dementia-considerate home adaptations. A similar approach has been developed in Oxford City, where they work with dementia advisors and memory clinics and guarantee adaptations will be provided within 2-3 working days.
All local authorities should take a more inclusive approach to their housing assistance policy and include regular consultation at every stage of the process with people living with dementia, their families and carers.
**Other key recommendations include: **
- Housing policy should become more versatile with extra measures required to thoroughly include all people living with dementia.
- Smaller adaptations are more effective, timely and cost effective and critical to supporting the independence and personal identity of people living with dementia.
- Help and support for people living with dementia, their families and carers must be made more widely available and more accessible.
- Including BAME and LGBTQ+ experiences in the design and practice of services will mean that all services improve.
**Paul Smith, Director of Foundations, the national body for Home Improvement Agencies and DFG, said:** “This review proposes a more customer-centric and personalised approach to responding to the current deficit in dementia-specific housing. We want to see more dementia related adaptations and a diagnosis of dementia classified as part of DFG applications.”
** Copies of Of More Than Marginal Interest: Dementia in Local Housing Policies can be downloaded at https://booklets.foundations.uk.com/dementia_and_dfg **