We need a model of health and aged care services that adequately supports Australians with dementia

Abstract

This vacuum is being filled by initiatives undertaken by the Victorian Government in public sector residential aged care services to develop better ways to conceptualise aged care. We acknowledge there is no single ideal model2 for the provision of residential aged care, as there is such wide variation in residential aged care services profiles (eg, number and type of residents, geographic location, physical environment, staffing). However, our recently proposed conceptual model for the provision of residential aged care3 includes many of the necessary aspects recommended by the NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research Special Interest Group in Rehabilitation and Dementia.