The story of Barbara and Tom’s experience of a dementia pathway and how it could have been so much better.

In this scenario – using a fictional patient, Tom – we examine a dementia care pathway, comparing a sub-optimal but not atypical scenario against an ideal pathway. At each stage we have modelled the costs of care, both financial to the commissioner but also the impact on the person and their family’s outcomes and experience.

Download Getting the dementia pathway right: Tom and Barbara’s story

This document is intended to help commissioners and providers understand the implications – both in terms of quality of life and costs – of shifting the care pathway of older people living with dementia from a reactive approach (primarily based on an acute response) to a proactive approach, e.g. providing an integrated primary care and community-based response, with support from the voluntary sector.

It shows how the NHS RightCare methodology can help clinicians and commissioners improve the value and outcomes of the care pathway.

Two summary slide packs are also included as appendices.