NICE Quality Standard outlines that people with dementia should be offered activities that can help promote wellbeing

A new recommendation, as part of NICE’s updated quality standard on dementia (published today, 28 June), says people living with dementia and people involved in their care should be given the opportunity to talk about the life experiences, preferences, interests, strengths and needs of the person with a healthcare professional. 

This can help the person living with dementia to choose activities to promote wellbeing that suit their preferences and needs.

Sally Copley, Director of Policy and Campaigns at Alzheimer’s Society, says:

'It’s great that NICE quality standards now recognise how important social interaction, music and the arts are to the 850,000 people with dementia across the UK.'

'As we’ve seen first-hand from our Singing from the Brain groups, such activities help people to feel valued and able to continue to doing the things they enjoy. Just because someone has dementia it shouldn’t mean they are robbed of the things we all take for granted – spending time with others, exercise and hobbies all have a huge impact on our sense of wellbeing.

'Care designed around each person is the gold standard for dementia support. But our research finds that staff haven’t been given the right training to deliver this – one in three homecare workers have not had dementia specific training. We now need to make these guidelines a reality, and look to Clinical Commissioning Groups to ensure staff are properly supported to deliver the care that people with dementia deserve.'