Dementia-Friendly Society Globally
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UNCOVER THE MEANING OF DEMENTIA FRIENDLY Shih-Yin Lin, MM, MT-BC, Doctoral Student; Basia Belza, PhD, RN, FAAN University of Washington School of Nursing An Environment that BACKGROUND Self Acceptance. “I guess the only Supports PWD “I would Caring for PWD. “When you have RECOMMENTATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY dementia, it makes you aware of how way that I could think of it is that say that it’s an • Educate the public • WHO urges governments worldwide to set from an insider’s perspective I environment, values, important caring means. You may care have accepted the fact that I have and then treatment that a lot about your family and not be able • Prepare the next generation dementia as public health priority and promote dementia. I’m comfortable with it. I supports and respects to express that. It would be important • Social inclusion (into larger disability culture, “having places to go”) building a dementia-friendly society globally. attached no stigma to it, and I am people with dementia for a family to express caring for that not reluctant to tell people that I and Alzheimer’s.” (FC) person with dementia so that they feel • Become spokespersons, self-advocacy • No agreed-upon definition for dementia-friendly have dementia.” (PWD) safe and taken care of.” (PWD) • Provide protection and sense of security • Create caring atmosphere/”lift them up” • Scant research conducted on concept of A Place for Both PWD and FC. Dementia training for healthcare providers, businesses, etc. dementia-friendly or building dementia-friendly Living a Normal Life with • Dementia. “It’s a disease and “It’s probably more for the • Proper reaction towards persons with dementia communities in U.S. people get all kinds of diseases. Meanings of caregiver than it is for the • Be friends with someone with dementia You can still live a normal life, Dementia person with dementia, even somewhat of a normal life and do though the dementia person is • Affordable dementia-friendly programs Friendly getting stimulation like we were things just like other people do. To • Improvements in transportation system me that’s being friendly.” (FC) talking about — whether you’re STUDY PURPOSE singing or painting, but there’s • Accessible social and health insurance programs got to be something for that • Access to accurate dementia-related information • Understand meaning of “dementia-friendly” Knowing How to Interact with caregiver as well.” (FC) • Old-fashioned village concept (feelings of community from perspectives of persons with dementia PWD. “I sort of think of how I Going into Their World and helping each other) (PWDs) and family caregivers (FCs) respond as either friendly or not “It’s whatever is going for my father-in-law. There are on at that point. If she’s Recognizing What Dementia Is. • Keep PWDs motivated/engaged/active 12 years old again, you “As well as having the friendly, • Elicit recommendations for promoting dementia- certain ways to respond to him • Remove of fear & stigma so that he feels like he’s being don’t have to work so which is an obvious thing, but it’s friendliness in communities. listened to and not told what to hard to bring her back to also a recognition that you’re • More publicity (TV, radio, newspapers, etc.) do. Trying to tell him what to do the fact that she’s 78. speaking with someone who had a • Accommodations in physical environments (simple/clean designs, diminished level of capacity.” isn’t interpreted by him as very Let her be 12 and play in visual cues, familiar music, etc.) friendly.” (FC) a way that is, you know, (PWD) METHODS what do you want to do today? (FC) • Data collection: focus group (N=7), dyadic CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS interview (N=2), 1:1 interview (N=6) SETTINGS NEED TO BE • PWDs and FCs would like communities to adopt the • Qualitative content analysis MORE DEMENTIA FRIENDLY recommendations above. • Retail establishments & stores • Hospitals • Implications for healthcare providers: Receive training PARTICIPANTS (N=37) • Organizations & facilities in dementia; provide timely dementia-specific resources • 12 PWDs (8F/4M; 60-85 years old); 25 CGs • Fire department & law enforcement at diagnosis. (16F/9M, 58-92 years old) • Neighborhood • Implications for future research: Consider including • Media • 33 Caucasian, 3 Hispanic, 1 African American people with mild cognitive impairment when designing future • Entertainment Industry dementia-friendly studies. • Private home (N=22); Independent living (N=15) • Programs & services This project is partially funded by de Tornyay Center for Healthy Aging: Healthy Aging PhD Research Scholarship; NINR Special thanks to community partners that helped with recruitment, as well as the research assistants (Jenny Palisoc, T32 NR014833; NCATS Grant TL1 TR000422; & University of Washington Retirement Association-University House Steven Simpkins, Musetta Fu, & Sunny Cheng. Scholarship in Aging .