New memory services to be developed to improve dementia care

More than 160 staff are to be recruited to support the development of new memory services across Ireland, Minister for Mental Health and Older People has said.

Marking World Alzheimer’s Day, Minister Butler announced that the government will be investing €12 million in dementia services and support for those living with dementia in 2023.

Ten new memory assessment and support services will be established in Mayo, Sligo, Waterford, Wexford, Cavan/Monaghan, Donegal, Kerry, Limerick, Mullingar and Galway.

In each location, multidisciplinary teams comprising medical, nursing and therapy staff will undertake up to 300 new assessments per year and serve a population of up to 150,000 people.

For more complex cases, new staff are being recruited to the existing specialist memory clinics in St James’s Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin, while new regional specialist memory clinics will also open in Cork and Galway.

Each location will perform 500 new assessments per year and serve a population of 1 million people.The new personnel are being recruited in line with the staffing recommendations of the Model of Care for Dementia published earlier this year.

An intellectual disability memory service is already operational at Tallaght University Hospital.