AQW 50827/22-27


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 03/09/2026
Answered On Date: 29/09/2026
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) any support that is available to people following a diagnosis of dementia; (ii) any support that is available to their families and carers; and (iii) any waiting times to access these services, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust,


Answer:
In line with the Regional Dementia Care Pathway, people diagnosed with dementia should be supported not only to understand their diagnosis, but also to access the information, advice and practical assistance needed to adapt to changes in their circumstances and live well with dementia. The "Finding Out It Is Dementia and Coping with Change" pillar of the pathway highlights the importance of comprehensive post-diagnostic support for individuals and their carers’. To support this objective, the Health and Social Care system provides a range of services and supports for people living with dementia and their families and carers. Access to services is based on an individual's assessed needs and circumstances, with the aim of supporting people to maintain independence, wellbeing and quality of life for as long as possible.
Following a diagnosis of dementia, individuals have access to a range of post-diagnostic supports and interventions, including:
Ongoing assessment, treatment, review and support through Memory Services and multidisciplinary community mental health and older people's services. These services provide information, education and treatment to support individuals to understand their diagnosis, manage their condition and plan for future care needs.
Dementia Navigator Services are available across all HSC Trusts and provide a key source of post-diagnostic support. Dementia Navigators offer information, education, practical assistance and signposting to statutory, community and voluntary sector services. They support individuals and their families from the point of diagnosis and throughout their dementia journey, and can also facilitate carer assessments where appropriate.
Based on assessed need, individuals may also access a range of community-based health and social care services, including home care, day opportunities, respite services, advocacy support, Hospital at Home, reablement services and supported living arrangements.
People living with dementia may also benefit from a wide range of services delivered by the community and voluntary sector, including dementia cafés, peer support groups, befriending services, wellbeing programmes and activities designed to reduce social isolation and promote independence and social inclusion.
Families and carers play a central role in supporting people living with dementia and are offered a range of dedicated supports to assist them in that role.
These supports include information and advice, involvement in care planning, carer assessments, support planning and access to respite and short-break services where appropriate and available. Carers are also supported through Dementia Navigator Services, which provide ongoing guidance, practical assistance and signposting throughout the individual's care journey.
In addition, HSC Trusts commission and provide a range of support services specifically for carers, including the Alzheimer's Society Carer Information and Support Programme (CrISP) and local carers' support services.
Families and carers may also be referred or signposted to community and voluntary sector organisations, including Alzheimer's Society, Dementia NI, Age NI and local carer support networks, which provide education, emotional support, peer support and opportunities to connect with others with shared experiences.
Where an individual's needs become more complex, Memory Services may provide or arrange access to specialist interventions, for support in behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), with the aim of maximising independence, supporting people to remain safely at home and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.
Information on waiting times is routinely collected for Memory Service assessments; however, waiting time information for wider post-diagnostic dementia support services is not available regionally.
The Department continues to work with HSC Trusts and partners across the community and voluntary sector to strengthen post-diagnostic support for people living with dementia and their carers’ in line with the objective of providing timely, person-centred care closer to home.