Public Health.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Indigenous Health
• Dementia Care

Background:

• Evidence supports non-pharmacological dementia care over pharmacological options due to limited effectiveness and adverse effects.
• There is a critical need to adapt non-pharmacological dementia care approaches for Indigenous populations.
• Current dementia care models are inadequate and harmful for Indigenous peoples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an implementation-ready, Indigenous-centered dementia care approach.
• To co-design this approach in partnership with Indigenous communities.

Main Methods:

• Ethical engagement with Indigenous community members was prioritized.
• Participants were recruited via community social media and newsletters.
• Data were co-analyzed using Indigenous thematic qualitative analysis, followed by a Nominal Group Technique with healthcare providers and decision-makers.

Main Results:

• Focus groups identified key needs for an Indigenous-centered dementia care intervention.
• These needs include culturally specific brain health education, risk identification, and prevention strategies.
• Participants also highlighted the importance of dementia-friendly cultural/spiritual ceremonies and community-based programs, alongside staff training.

Conclusions:

• This research informs ethical engagement processes for developing culturally specific dementia care policy and planning.
• The findings will help health and continuing care services implement community-specific non-pharmacological dementia care.