Interventions to tackle inequalities in Dementia
Dementia awareness: Moving pictures and the National Ageing Research Institute have collated numerous resources providing information on dementia in a variety of languages.
The Alzheimer’s Society adapted an information programme for South Asian carers which increased understanding of dementia and support available and improved understanding of the person with dementia. The ADAPT study collated resources for South Asian people with dementia in the UK. The iSupport educational programme is also being adapted for people from South Asian backgrounds. A feasibility study of a culturally tailored dementia information programme for people from minority ethnic groups showed an improvement in knowledge and beliefs around dementia in a study from Denmark (Nielsen et al 2022). Awareness raising has been done through roadshows and music and dance initiatives to help de-stigmatise dementia in minority ethnic communities.
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Help seeking: There are interventions that have shown promise in encouraging people from minority ethnic groups to seek help for dementia earlier in the South Asian community (The East-Dem study) and Black community (IDEM-Care study).
Cognitive testing: A number of studies have been done to improve cultural sensitivity of cognitive screening tools and some more culturally sensitive cognitive screening tools are the Copenhagen cross-linguistic naming test, The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale, the brief Multicultural Cognitive Examination, The Cross-Cultural Dementia Screening (CCD), The Naming Assessment in Multicultural Europe (NAME), the five digit test, the Visual Short-Term Memory Binding Test (VSTMBT), the Visual Association Memory test and the European Cross-Cultural Neuropsychological Test Battery (CNTB). Diagnostic quality is improved if informant-based questionnaire is combined with the RUDAS as shown in this study.
Post-diagnostic support: Some organisations offer culturally tailored support after a diagnosis such as Meri Yaadein, and Sahara – a service through the Alzheimer’s Society for South Asian communities.
There has been cultural adaptation and translation of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) which is proven to improve cognition in people with dementia. A cost effective therapy which helps to support carers and prevents depression has been adapted for use in the South Asian and Black communities in the UK (START intervention).
A culturally tailored dementia care intervention pilot study in people from minority ethnic groups in Denmark showed promising results in improving family carers’ sense of competence by helping them cope better with the challenges of the caring role (Nielsen et al 2022).
A UCL team has recently completed the adaptation and evaluation of CST, and evidence-based treatment for dementia, in people with ID and dementia (research protocol)
