Improving quality of life and care provision for people living with dementia is a national priority. Most people with dementia live in the community and rely on family to provide care that enables them to remain at home. Without informal care far more residential care options would be required. People with dementia and their families have requested interventions that optimise function so that they can remain as independent as possible. Such interventions are sometimes called reablement interventions.

This Issues Brief summarises research, government, and non-government documents that have explored the concept of reablement in dementia care; and describes how reablement interventions work to address the needs of people living with dementia and their care partners, as well as how these interventions are, or can be, adopted in the Australian health and aged care context. Recommendations are made to address the identified barriers to including evidence-based reablement interventions for people living with dementia in standard care provision.

First, the rights and care needs of people living with dementia and their care partners are outlined. The cultural attitudes and stigma, specifically among health professionals, towards dementia are then highlighted. Interventions to address dementia related cognitive, physical and functional decline are described before showcasing how and why reablement interventions can and should be applied in dementia care. A detailed case story of the implementation of an evidence-based reablement intervention for people living with dementia in Australia is also provided.

Lastly, the challenges that people with dementia who live at home face when navigating the Australian health and aged care system in order to find services to meet their care needs are outlined. A call is made for the development of a service model that is accessible, cohesive and effective in meeting the needs of people living with dementia.