Social class, dementia and the fourth age

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Existing research on social class and dementia often uses socioeconomic status as a proxy for risk.
• This approach has limitations and overlooks the evolving nature of social class and aging in late modernity.
• Societal changes impact individual identities and social relationships, influencing dementia experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically examine research on the intersection of dementia and social class.
• To analyze epidemiological, diagnostic, treatment, and care access disparities.
• To explore lay understandings and biographical accounts of dementia within social class contexts.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of existing literature on dementia and social class.
• Analysis of epidemiological studies on risk inequalities.
• Examination of research on diagnosis, treatment, and care access.
• Inclusion of studies focusing on lay perspectives and biographical narratives.

Main Results:

• Social class influences dementia risk, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Class-based distinctions affect care framing and access.
• Lived experiences of dementia are shaped by social relations and class.

Conclusions:

• Dementia and social class are deeply embedded within social relations.
• Class distinctions remain significant in the lived experience of dementia.
• Future research must consider the dynamic interplay between social class, aging, and dementia within contemporary societal structures.