Dementia Adviser, Alzheimer Scotland
This study seeks to explore perceptions of people with dementia in relation to attitudes within rural communities. It has been long established that people with dementia are at risk of becoming socially isolated and less well connected with their local communities. Findings from a study including people with dementia reported that perceived attitudes contributed more to a community being dementia friendly than environmental factors (Milton 2012), (Langdon et al. 2007)
I will be using “Talking Mats” in friendly, supportive semi-structured interviews to explore the perceptions people with Dementia have in regards to attitudes in their local communities. “Talking Mats” is described as a low-tech communication tool using pictures which helps a wide variety of people, including those with Dementia, to express their views, feelings and opinions. The attitudes people with dementia perceive can influence how they feel about themselves as a person. I am particularly interested in how these perceptions are formed. The views people held about dementia before they were diagnosed might affect how they feel about their condition and consequently how they expect others will behave towards them.
E-mail: gditta@alzscot.org