Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:39:10.377Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A national survey of memory clinics in the Republic of Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2014

Suzanne Cahill ,
Maria Pierce  and
Vanessa Moore
Suzanne Cahill*
Affiliation:
School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin and The Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, Dublin, Ireland
Maria Pierce
Affiliation:
The Dementia Services Information and Development Centre's Living with Dementia Research Programme, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
Vanessa Moore
Affiliation:
The Dementia Services Information and Development Centre's Living with Dementia Research Programme, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Suzanne Cahill, DSIDC's Living with Dementia Programme, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Phone: +353-1-8964101; Fax: +353-1-8962914. Email: [email protected].
Get access

Abstract

Background:

This national survey investigates the location, resourcing, staff composition, treatments, waiting time, and numbers of patients attending memory clinics (MCs) in the Republic of Ireland. It also explores Directors’ attitudes to future service development including their views about the advantages and disadvantages of quality standards for MCs.

Methods:

An audio-taped telephone interview was conducted with the Directors.

Results:

A total of 14 MCs were identified across the Republic of Ireland, ten of which are hospital-based and most of which offer diagnostic services and are located in Dublin. Nine MCs are medical consultant led and operate under the direction of either Old Age Psychiatrists or Geriatricians. Results show wide variation regarding the location, team size, service availability, and numbers of patients attending. The average number of patients attending in 2011 was 126. Only six clinics employ dedicated Allied Health Professionals. Less than half of the clinics are research active. Whilst most Directors welcomed the availability of national standards, several expressed concern that standards might, in the absence of funding, result in the closure of the most poorly resourced services.

Conclusions:

This survey provides valuable data on the main characteristics of all of the 14 MCs delivering services in the Republic of Ireland and raises critical and fundamental questions about the goals and outcomes of MC services. The survey data collected can be used by other countries for cross-national comparison.

Keywords

memory clinicsdementiastandardsdiagnosispost-diagnostic treatmentssupport services
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Issue 4 , April 2014 , pp. 605 - 613
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Banerjee, S. and Wittenberg, R. (2009). Clinical and cost effectiveness of services for early diagnosis and intervention in dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 748–754. doi:10.1002/gps.2191.Google Scholar
Brooker, D., La Fontaine, J., Evans, S. and Karim, S. (2013). Timely Diagnosis of Dementia: Synthesis Report. ALzheimer COoperation Valuation in Europe (ALCOVE). Available at: http://www.alcove-project.eu/images/synthesis-report/ALCOVE_SYNTHESIS_REPORT_WP5.pdf; last accessed 7 November 2012.Google Scholar
Cahill, S., Clarke, M., O'Connell, H., Lawlor, B., Coen, R. and Walsh, C. (2008b). The attitudes and practices of General Practitioners regarding dementia diagnosis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 663–669. doi:10.1002/gps.1956.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cahill, S., Gibb, M., Bruce, I., Headon, M. and Drury, M. (2008a). “I was worried coming in because I don't really know why it was arranged”: the subjective experience of new patients and their primary caregivers attending a memory clinic. Dementia: The International Journal of Social Research and Practice, 7, 175–189. doi:10.1177/1471301208091157.Google Scholar
Department of Health (2009). Living Well with Dementia: A National Dementia Strategy. London: Department of Health.Google Scholar
Draškovid, I., Vernooij-Dassen, M., Verhey, F., Scheltens, P. and Olde Rikkert, M. (2008). Development of quality indicators for memory clinics. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 119–128. doi:10.1002/gps.1848.Google Scholar
Galeotti, F., Giusti, A., Meduri, F., Raschetti, R., Scardetta, P. and Vanacore, N. (2013). Epidemiological Data on Dementia: Synthesis Report. ALzheimer COoperation Valuation in Europe (ALCOVE). Available at: http://www.alcove-project.eu/images/synthesis-report/ALCOVE_SYNTHESIS_REPORT_WP4.pdf; last accessed 7 November 2013.Google Scholar
Garand, L., Dew, M. A., Lingler, J. H. and DeKosky, S. T. (2011). Incidence and predictors of advance care planning among persons with cognitive impairment. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19, 712–720. doi:10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181faebef.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jolley, D., Benbow, S. M. and Grizzell, M. (2006). Memory clinics. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82, 199–206. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2005.040592.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindesay, J., Marudkar, M., vanDiepen, E. and Wilcock, G. (2002). The second Leicester survey of memory clinics in the British Isles. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17, 41–47. doi:10.1002/gps.522.Google Scholar
Logiudice, D., Waltrowicz, W., Brown, K., Burrows, C., Ames, D. and Flicker, L. (1999). Do memory clinics improve the quality of life of carers? A randomized pilot trial. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14, 626–632. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1166(199908)14:8<626::AID-GPS990>3.0.CO;2-5.3.0.CO;2-5>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maher, L. (2009). An Exploration of Memory Clinic Services in the Republic of Ireland (unpublished master's thesis). Trinity College Dublin, Dublin.Google Scholar
Meeuwsen, E. J. et al. (2012). Effectiveness of dementia follow-up care by memory clinics or general practitioners: randomised control trial. BMJ, 344, e3086. doi:10.1136.bmj.e3086.Google Scholar
Melis, R. J. F., Meeuwsen, E. J., Parker, S. J. and OldeRikkert, M. G. M. (2009). Are memory clinics effective? The odds are in favour of their benefit, but conclusive evidence is not yet available. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 102, 456–457. doi:10.1258/jrsm.2009.090259.Google Scholar
Morgan, D. G. et al. (2009). Improving access to dementia care: development and evaluation of a rural and remote memory clinic. Aging and Mental Health, 13, 17–30. doi:10.1080/13607860802154432.Google Scholar
O'Shea, E. (2007). Policy for Dementia Care in Ireland: The Time for Action is Now. Dublin: Alzheimer Society of Ireland.Google Scholar
Passmore, A. P. and Craig, D. A. (2004). The future of memory clinics. Psychiatrist, 28, 375–377. doi:10.1192/pb.28.10.375.Google Scholar
Phipps, A. and O'Brien, J. T. (2002). Memory clinics and clinical governance – a UK perspective. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17, 1128–1132. doi:10.1002/gps.761.Google Scholar
Pierce, M., Cahill, S. and O'Shea, E. (forthcoming). Prevalence and Projections of Dementia in Ireland 2011. Mullingar: Genio Ltd.Google Scholar
Prince, M. (2009). The global prevalence of dementia. In Prince, M. and Jackson, J. (eds.), World Alzheimer Report 2009 (pp. 25–45). London: Alzheimer's Disease International.Google Scholar
Prince, M., Bryce, R. and Ferri, C. (2011). World Alzheimer Report 2011: The Benefits of Early Diagnosis and Intervention. London: Alzheimer's Disease International.Google Scholar
Ramakers, I. H. G. B. and Verhey, R. J. (2011). Development of memory clinics in the Netherlands: 1998 to 2009. Aging and Mental Health, 15, 34–39. doi:10.1080/13607863.2010.519321.Google Scholar
Ritchie, J., Spencer, L. and O'Connor, W. (2003). Carrying out qualitative analysis. In Ritchie, J. and Lewis, J. (eds.), Qualitative Research Practice A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers (pp. 219–262). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Sirvastava, A. and Thomson, S. B. (2009). Framework analysis: a qualitative methodology for applied policy research. Journal of Administration and Government, 4, 72–79. Available at: http://joaag.com/uploads/06_Research_Note_Srivastava_and_Thomson_4_2_.pdf.Google Scholar
Van Hout, H. P. J., Vernooij-Dassen, M. J. F. J., Hoefnagels, W. H. L. and Grol, R. P. T. M. (2001). Measuring the opinion of memory clinic users: patients, relatives and general practitioners. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16, 846–851. doi:10.1002/gps.411.Google Scholar
Verhey, F. R. J., Orrell, M. and Zarit, S. (2011). Editorial: memory services and memory clinics. Aging and Mental Health, 15, 2–4. doi:10.1080/13607863.2010.543666.Google Scholar
Wolfs, C. A., Dirksen, C. D., Kessels, A., Severens, J. L. and Verhey, F. R. (2009). Economic evaluation of an integrated diagnostic approach for psychogeriatric patients. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66, 313–323.Google Scholar
Wolfs, C. A., Kessels, A., Dirksen, C. D., Severens, J. L. and Verhey, F. R. (2008). Integrated multidisciplinary diagnostic approach for dementia care: randomized controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192, 300–305. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.107.035204.Google Scholar
Woodward, M. C. and Woodward, E. (2009). A national survey of memory clinics in Australia. International Psychogeriatrics, 21, 696–702. doi:10.1017/S1041610209009156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization (2012). Dementia: A Public Health Priority. Geneva: World Health Organization.Google Scholar