Overview of dementia care under the three-tier long-term care system of China.

OBJECTIVES: This paper provides an overview of the status of dementia care in Mainland China under the framework of the three-tier long-term care system proposed by the Chinese government, and gives the direction for service development.

METHODS: Official documents, annual reports of related associations, and studies conducted in Mainland China from 2006 to 2017, published both in English and Chinese were reviewed.

RESULTS: With the establishment of the three-tier long-term care system, the Government has invested a lot in long-term care, and improvements have been made. However, specific areas of dementia care still face challenges.

DISCUSSION: Strategies in improving the long-term care services have been achieved. These included training for informal caregivers at home settings, increased investment in community health centers, and increased institutional placements, etc. However, these are not enough to fulfill the needs of people with dementia and their caregivers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Multiple levels of training and interaction within the framework of the three-tier long-term care system as well as more research are recommended for improving dementia care.