Abstract

The article reports on research into the availability of and access to dementia services in rural Scotland. Although there is evidence that local initiatives are making a difference, there are many threats to needs-led care for people with dementia. Nursing is identified as a main referral agency and an extended discussion considers nurses as integral to their communities. Dementia affects about 62,000 people living in Scotland, and remote and rural areas have older populations than urban areas. Seventy-two per cent of respondents reported that service coverage was inadequate.