:format():fill())
A growing number of older Australians are living with dementia, with the number estimated to increase from 421,000 to 812,500 over the next 30 years.
Dementia Australia describes dementia as symptoms associated with a large group of illnesses which cause a progressive decline in a person’s functioning. These changes can include a loss of memory, problems with reasoning and logic, and deterioration in social skills and physical functioning.
While many people with dementia live in residential aged care, about two-thirds of people with dementia live at home, within their communities. It is likely you know someone living with dementia or someone caring for them, as more than 1.6 million Australians care for someone living with dementia.
Social connection is important for quality of life including participation in everyday life and staying connected with family, friends and community. Supports such as health and medical resources and services play a crucial role in enabling people’s continued participation and engagement in their social networks.
However, older people from migrant and culturally diverse communities may face additional barriers to access, such as lower proficiency in English, limited digital literacy and cultural stigma about dementia.
The Befriending with GENIE project aims to address this issue. Conducted by researchers from the National Ageing Research Institute, Edith Cowan University and the University of Sydney, with many valued community partnerships, Befriending with GENIE has been co-designed with researchers, people who coordinate and provide services to older people, as well as older people themselves.
The program involves weekly ‘befriending’ visits and social network mapping activities with older people diagnosed with dementia or who experience problems with memory or thinking, together with their carers. These one-hour visits include informal conversations with a facilitator to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate support.