Transitions between care settings | Right Decisions

Right Decisions
Assessment, diagnosis, care and support for people with dementia and their carers (SIGN)
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Changing needs of people with dementia
Transitions between care settings

Please update your RDS mobile app to version 4.7.1

We are pleased to advise that deep linking capability, enabling users to directly download individual mobile toolkits, has now been released on the RDS mobile app. When you install the update, you will see that each toolkit has a small QR code icon the header area beside the search icon – see screenshot below. Clicking on this icon will open up a window with a full-size QR code and the alternative of a short URL for sharing with users. Instructions are provided.

You may need to actively install the update to install RDS app version 4.7.1 to see this improvement. Installing this update is also strongly recommended to get the full benefits of the new contingency arrangements – specifically, that if the RDS website should fail, you will still be able to download new mobile app toolkits.

To check your current RDS version, click on the three dots bottom right of the RDS app screen. This takes you to a “More” page where you will see the version number. To install latest updates:

On iPhones – go to the Apple store, click on your profile icon top right, scroll down to see the apps waiting to be updated and update the RDS app.

On Android phones – these can vary, but try going to the Google Play store, click on your profile icon top right, click on “Manage apps and device”, select and update the RDS app.

Please get in touch with ann.wales3@nhs.scot with any questions.

Health and social care professionals should consider holistic, person-centred approaches when people with dementia transition between care settings, that include the needs of people with dementia and their carers.

For people with dementia consider:

identifying unmet needs such as depression, quality of life, physical decline (such as falls and the ability to perform activities of daily living, such as walking and balance)
setting person-centred goals and care plans to address unmet needs and signpost to or link with appropriate services that offer support for identified needs.

In the advanced stages of dementia, when the transition from home to long-term care is more likely, it may be challenging to involve the person with dementia in goal-setting and care plans. This should be considered as part of anticipatory care planning discussions.

Information points for transitions between care settings

Where transition to long-term care is anticipated, healthcare professionals should aim to have early discussions with the person with dementia and their family or carer(s) in relation to their expected needs (eg mental health and wellbeing, physical ability/decline), goals and plans for this transition. This should inform discussions at transition, considering the holistic needs of the person with dementia at that time.