Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Linguistics

Background:

• Limited data exists on Deaf individuals' knowledge and attitudes towards dementia.
• Deaf populations face barriers to dementia services, including a lack of sign language interpreters and healthcare professionals fluent in sign language.
• There is a critical need for dementia screening tools adapted for national sign languages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify dementia knowledge and attitudes among Deaf populations in Austria, Germany, Greece, and Italy.
• To develop dementia awareness seminars tailored to Deaf communities' cultural norms.
• To adapt the Cognitive Screening Test (CST) into Austrian and Greek sign language.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing psychometric tools to assess dementia knowledge and attitudes in Deaf participants.
• Designing and implementing structured dementia awareness seminars for Deaf communities.
• Adapting an existing sign language Cognitive Screening Test (CST) for Austrian and Greek sign language.

Main Results:

• Presentation of initial findings on dementia attitudes and knowledge within Deaf communities.
• Display of the structured seminar designs created for Deaf community engagement.
• Availability of adapted Austrian and Greek versions of the CST for use with Deaf older adults.

Conclusions:

• The project aims to increase dementia awareness seminars for Deaf individuals in Austria, Germany, Greece, and Italy.
• The ultimate goal is to enhance dementia detection and establish clear diagnostic and care pathways for the Deaf population.
• Improved access to culturally appropriate dementia information and screening is expected.