Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Health
• Neuroscience
• Gerontology

Background:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples exhibit higher dementia prevalence at younger ages.
• Place significantly impacts health, but urban-rural differences in brain ageing are not well understood.
• Rural strengths like connection to Country and community support healthy brain ageing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of Place on dementia prevention and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• To explore urban-rural variations in brain ageing and dementia care.
• To identify culturally relevant strengths and barriers in dementia care.

Main Methods:

• Utilized research yarning, an Indigenous methodology, integrating Western approaches for cultural safety.
• Conducted research yarns with 42 community members and 24 healthcare professionals across diverse sites in New South Wales.
• Employed thematic analysis with inductive and deductive coding by mixed research teams.

Main Results:

• Key themes: community understanding of brain ageing, Place-brain ageing relationships, service accessibility, and dementia care training.
• Strengths include cardiovascular health integration, family contact, Indigenous health providers, and traditional knowledge, especially in rural areas.
• Barriers: limited awareness of brain health strategies, differing cognition perceptions, and service gaps in rural areas.

Conclusions:

• Holistic and collectivist health perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are shaped by Place and Community.
• Culturally informed dementia prevention and care strategies, leveraging community strengths in rural settings, are crucial.
• Modifiable dementia risk factors and community capacity offer innovative approaches for healthy ageing.