The Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland (2011) offers a set of commitments to people with dementia including:

"I have the right to be as independent as possible and be included in my community".

Promoting Excellence: a framework for all health and social services staff working with people with dementia, their families and carers supports this standard when stating:

"People with dementia have access to quality services and can continue to participate in community life and valued activities"

A national focus on an outcomes approach to assessment, planning and review aligns well with these statements as its aim is to shift engagement with people who use services away from service-led approaches to personalised, person centred solutions. Personal Outcomes, valued relationships and community connections are therefore central to the ethos and philosophy of practice as we go forward. This involves people with dementia and those closest to them working in partnership with professionals and communities to achieve the best possible impact on every individual's life. The strengths, capacity and resilience of individuals is recognised and promoted, building upon natural support systems and much wider community based resources.

Alzheimer Scotland's 8 pillars model is also committed to valued lives in local communities saying:

"Assisting people with dementia and their carers to maintain and build on their existing social networks and identify opportunities for peer support can enhance their quality of life. It can also maximise the natural support received from those around them. It can help people to attain and maintain maximum independence and have full inclusion and participation in all aspects of their life".

Maintaining normal patterns of life for as long as possible is so important for people with dementia for many reasons. People with dementia can often find themselves withdrawing from aspects of their life that have sustained them. In Living the Life, Henry and Peter talk of important relationships and activities. It was important for them, and is important for others, to identify the aspects of life which contribute most to a sense of wellbeing.

The testimonies of Henry, Peter and others bring the importance of community connections to life.