Effects of Dementia Friendly Community Project on Awareness of Dementia and Changes in Attitude

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in the awareness and attitudes of the dementia subjects before and after the project, and to provide a basis for dementia patients to live with local residents.METHODS: The number of targets in each community selected by the Dementia friendly community was over 200, and the total number of participants was 2,205. The selected subjects were assessed before and after the implementation of the project on their awareness of dementia and their dementia attitudes. Dementia awareness was assessed through a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions, and dementia attitude was assessed by dividing it into knowledge scale and comfort scale.RESULTS: Since the implementation of the project, an increase in the average scores of dementia awareness (p<0.01) and dementia attitude scales (p<0.01) was identified. In addition, the scores of those who had experienced dementia in the past had higher scores on awareness and attitude toward dementia.CONCLUSION: This study confirms that dementia friendly community can cause positive change in awareness and attitudes toward members of the community. However, even though dementia friendly communities can have these positive impacts, many improvements are needed to implement in more diverse areas.