€500,000 saved in local dementia-care project

Nearly  €500,000 has been saved in a 2-year local pilot project when 50 dementia patients in Carlow and Kilkenny were cared for in their own homes.

The Memory Matters report was launched today in the Ormonde Hotel Kilkenny by the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People.

Co-funded by Genio and the HSE, the report surveyed 68 dementia patients and their families in the Carlow and Kilkenny area.

Their key findings were the importance of early diagnosis, support of the carer and a flexible person centred approach to drive the delivery of dementia care in the community.

Minister Helen McEntee says this local work will inform policy making for the whole country.