Fostering Dementia-Friendly Communities
Dementia-friendly communities are places where people living with dementia are valued, respected, included, and supported to live as independently and safely as possible.
These communities foster awareness, reduce stigma, and promote connection across all ages.
Below, you can explore the projects we’re working on to help build more inclusive environments for people living with dementia and those who care for them.
Working Together: Building a Dementia-Friendly Community for the Comox Valley
Dementia-friendly communities are inclusive and respectful. They foster a sense of belonging and value people living with dementia as active participants in their communities.
In this pilot study, we have partnered with a group of local residents who have lived experience of dementia or as the caregiver of someone with dementia, to understand what would make the Comox Valley more dementia-friendly. In collaboration with Emily Carr University’s Health Design Lab, regionally specific educational content and resources are being designed to increase awareness of dementia and dementia-friendliness for Comox Valley’s service providers in the retail, entertainment, and transportation sectors.
This study is ongoing. An update will be provided in an oral presentation at the Canadian Association of Gerontology’s 2025 conference (Radical Relationality and Aging: Creativity, Community, Connection) that is to be held in October in Montreal.
BRIDGE: Broadening Relationships Through Intergenerational Dementia Guidance and Education
A major societal challenge exists for a large and growing population of older adults with cognitive decline including dementia, to connect with and be included in community. The solution is to create dementia friendly communities that are inclusive and welcoming to older adults with cognitive decline.
This two-year study will use a mixed methods approach to answer three research questions related to dementia friendly communities:
- What is the level of knowledge that youth possess in regards to dementia?
- Can educational modules for high school students about dementia friendly communities increase level of knowledge and decrease stigma about dementia?
- What are the long-term outcomes of providing education to high school students?
This project will engage with high school students in grade 11. As part of their high school experience, students in BC engage in a minimum of 30 hours of community work in grade 11-12. Initially, surveys about dementia friendliness and stigma towards dementia will be administered. Subsequently, a recently developed Dementia Friendly Toolkit will be used to increase understanding of dementia and dementia friendly communities through a series of lessons. The surveys will then be re-administered to understand changes in dementia friendliness. After completion of community service, a subset of participants will engage in follow up qualitative interviews to allow for understanding of dementia friendly strategies that they may have implemented in the community.
The creation of dementia friendly communities where people can feel understood, welcome and included is a major priority identified by Canadians with lived experience and promoted by the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.
Educating high school aged youth about dementia and dementia friendly communities has tremendous potential to improve community-based experiences for both younger and older people. It is expected that youth will initially have very little understanding of dementia, that will significantly improve following exposure to the lessons in the Dementia Friendly Toolkit. It is also expected that this learning will translate into improved community interactions between educated high school students and people with dementia. It also has potential to inspire career decisions into caring professions to support our aging society.
Ultimately, this research represents the first step in creating a BRIDGE — broadening relationships through intergenerational dementia guidance and education.