'It's Too nice': Adapting iSupport Lite for Ethnically Diverse Family Carers of a Person with Dementia

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Culturally Adapted Dementia Prevention Animation on Ethnically Diverse participants' Knowledge of Dementia Prevention

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether culturally adapted dementia prevention animations increased dementia prevention knowledge in ethnically diverse communities.

METHODS

A before-and after survey conducted online and in-person between 1 February and 5 June 2022. Participants viewed the animation in Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese or English. Dementia knowledge was measured using two subscales from the dementia risk reduction knowledge instrument (KoDeRR), measuring knowledge of dementia risk factor mitigation strategies and appraisal of dementia risk factors (misconceptions).

RESULTS

Among the 318 respondents there was a significant increase in dementia knowledge in most languages after viewing the animation (ps < 05; except for English). Mean performance on knowledge of dementia risk factor mitigation strategies significantly increased after viewing the animation (p < .001), with a clinically meaningful effect (mean change = 3.63). Appraisal of dementia risk factor misconceptions significantly increased in the Spanish group (mean change = 1.29, p < .001), but significantly decreased in the English group (mean change = -1.09, p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Viewing the animation in a language other than English was associated with an increase in KoDeRR scores for both the recognition of mitigation strategies and identification of misconceptions subscales.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Codesigned, culturally adapted in-language dementia prevention animations improve dementia prevention awareness in ethnically diverse communities.

Breaking the barriers: overcoming dementia-related stigma in minority communities

Dementia is a global health concern that affects individuals irrespective of their cultural or linguistic backgrounds. However, research has long recognized the pronounced stigma associated with dementia, particularly within Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities. This article seeks to summarize the underlying factors contributing to the heightened levels of dementia stigma within CALD communities, through a review of the literature. Our examination shows that cultural beliefs, language barriers, limited awareness, and the impact of migration on perceptions of aging and cognitive decline are contributing factors. Consequently, our analysis highlights the need for tailored, culturally appropriate interventions aimed at mitigating stigma and enhancing dementia care within CALD populations. Our proposed solutions, built on a social-ecological approach, highlights the critical role of collaborative efforts involving policymakers, healthcare providers, community organizations, and CALD community members in fostering a more dementia-inclusive society. This perspective piece aims to shed light on the distinct challenges faced by CALD communities, while advocating for a holistic approach to redefine perceptions and care strategies tailored to these populations.

Improving the lives of ethnically diverse family carers and people living with dementia using digital media resources - Protocol for the Draw-Care randomised controlled trial

Objectives

Ethnically diverse family carers of people living with dementia (hereafter carers and people with dementia) experience more psychological distress than other carers. To reduce this inequality, culturally adapted, multilingual, evidence-based practical assistance is needed. This paper details the Draw-Care study protocol including a randomised control trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of a digital intervention comprising a multilingual website, virtual assistant, animated films, and information, on the lives of carers and people with dementia in Australia.

Methods

The Draw-Care intervention will be evaluated in a 12-week active waitlist parallel design RCT with 194 carers from Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Spanish, Tamil, and Vietnamese-speaking language groups. Our intervention was based on the World Health Organization's (WHO) iSupport Lite online carer support messages and was co-designed with carers, people with dementia, service providers, and clinicians. Culturally adapted multilingual digital resources were created in nine languages and English.

Results

In Phase I (2022), six co-design workshops with stakeholders and interviews with people with dementia informed the development of the intervention which will be trialled and evaluated in Phases II and III (2023 and 2024).

Conclusions

Digital media content is a novel approach to providing cost-effective access to health care information. This study protocol details the three study phases including the RCT of a co-designed, culturally adapted, multilingual, digital intervention for carers and people with dementia to advance the evidence in dementia and digital healthcare research and help meet the needs of carers and people with dementia in Australia and globally.