journal articles
EXPLORING DELIVERY OF DEMENTIA POST DIAGNOSTIC SUPPORT (PDS) FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN CARE HOMES IN SCOTLAND: A SURVEY OF HEALTHCARE STAFF AND PDS PROVIDERS
J.K. Burton, L.E. Stirland, T.C. Russ, T.J Quinn
Jour Nursing Home Res 2026;12:16-23
BACKGROUND: Post Diagnostic Support (PDS) after a diagnosis of dementia is a Scottish Government commitment. However, people living in care homes face barriers accessing existing PDS services.
OBJECTIVES: To map where post diagnostic support (PDS) is available to people living in care homes and establish professional perspectives on service provision.
DESIGN: A targeted online national survey was undertaken, including fixed response questions and free-text.
PARTICIPANTS: Healthcare professionals who refer people for PDS and those who provide PDS services across Scotland.
RESULTS: Over a ten-week period, 62 complete responses were received, 54.8% from PDS providers. Only eight (26.7%) geographical areas provide PDS to people living in care homes. Dementia is under-diagnosed and lack of support contributes toward this diagnostic gap. Current contracts for PDS delivery often explicitly exclude providing support for care homes. PDS requires adaptation for the care home population including to account for disease stage.
CONCLUSIONS: People living in care homes face inequitable access to PDS and wider dementia supports, with significant geographical differences in availability of statutory and voluntary services. There is a need for collaborative co-design to develop and evaluate tailored PDS to help close the diagnostic gap.
CITATION:
J.K. Burton ; L.E. Stirland ; T.C. Russ ; T.J Quinn ; (2026): Exploring delivery of dementia post diagnostic support (PDS) for people living in care homes in Scotland: a survey of healthcare staff and PDS providers. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2026.3