Organizing Social Citizenship for People Living With Dementia: A Community Case Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Sciences
• Dementia Care

Background:

• Social citizenship for people living with dementia is most evident in domestic and community settings.
• Traditional approaches often view dementia care through a medical lens, potentially limiting social engagement.
• There is a need for innovative housing concepts that support community integration for older adults with dementia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore a novel clustered social housing concept for older adults with dementia.
• To analyze how this concept facilitates social citizenship by creating care-collectives.
• To examine the role of interprofessional collaboration in supporting residents' community engagement.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation and in-depth interviews.
• Analysis of a structural interprofessional meeting as a coordination body.
• Focus on initiating care-collectives based on early changes in residents' functioning and wellbeing.

Main Results:

• The housing concept design supports the creation of care-collectives, moving beyond a purely medical perspective.
• An interprofessional meeting effectively coordinates care and support, enabling residents to remain engaged with the community.
• Early identification of resident needs facilitates the enactment of citizenship through community participation.

Conclusions:

• Clustered social housing with proactive care-collectives can promote social citizenship for people with dementia.
• Cross-domain collaboration presents ethical dilemmas concerning professional responsibilities, information sharing, and service tailoring.
• Further research is needed to navigate these ethical considerations for optimal support and integration.