Karen Smith

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Making Christchurch Dementia-Friendly
Perspectives of People with Dementia

• Karen Smith RN, MSc Dementia Studies

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Whinging POM!
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The Challenge stop me from whinging!
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What is dementia?

• An umbrella term used to describe conditions in
  the brain that affect our ability to
• THINK
• REASON
• REMEMBER
• Can affect anyone at any age incidence higher
  in older population
• Most common Alzheimers disease

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What is a dementia-friendly community?

• A dementia friendly community can be defined as
  being one in which it is possible for the
  greatest number of people to live a good life
  with dementia.
•  
• 
  
  (Milton, 2012)
•  

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Netherlands Hogewey Dementia Village
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Our Study

• Qualitative study aimed at seeking the
  perspectives of people with dementia
• 27 participants from within Christchurch city
• They told us what they felt would make for a
  dementia-friendly Christchurch

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Education and Awareness

• Providers of local businesses and community
  services showed good understanding
• Need for more education and greater awareness
  from health providers

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Community Services

• Cafes and restaurants good awareness
• Malls some experiences not so good
• Taxi Phones at Pak n Save Great!

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Health and Social Care Services

• NGOs doing well
• Care Homes fail to meet needs and allow for
  preferences need for engagement, purpose and
  role identity, part of community
• Emergency services showed good understanding
• In-patient units, GP practices faired poorly

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Networks

• Impact of 2011 earthquake on eastern suburbs no
  longer know neighbours
• Wigram support group and befriending service
• Internet social networks
• Ability for PWD to provide support to others

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Buildings and Design

• Shopping malls overwhelming, floors look like
  glass, noisy, smell of fast-food disliked,
  public toilets hard to find
• Stopped people from going out alone
• Want a modern city

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Transport

• Taxi services very good (half-price vouchers
  for PWD highly valued)
• Bus services mixed opinions some drivers
  helpful others gave little time, would not
  lower bus for people with walking aids
• City centre bus stop locations made navigation
  difficult
• Lack of enclosed bus shelters
• Road signage poor post earthquake (colour
  changes inconsistent and unhelpful)

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Access to Information

• Internet increasingly popular with older people
• Social networking sites very useful, e.g.
  Facebook and Grown-Ups
• Families want to be kept informed when PWD in
  hospital wards
• Information given upon request not enforced

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Leisure

• Many participants ceased participation due to
  embarrassment, too slow, nobody to support them
• Some wanted to try something new
• Most wanted an opportunity to resume hobbies,
  e.g. golf, fishing, dancing

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Outdoor Environments

• Need to access the outdoors
• Want to be part of the community
• Biggest fear is never having a chance to get
  outside again
• Be in touch with nature
• Visit Botanic Gardens
• Need for quiet spaces

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Safety

• Safe neighbourhood
• Dont want to be tricked
• Police presence
• Safe pedestrian crossing points
• Cul-de-sacs
• Safe, uncomplicated footpaths and floor surfaces

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Benefits of a Dementia-Friendly Model

• Includes everyone people with dementia, physical
  and sensory disabilities, mental health problems,
  people with young children, international
  visitors
• Opportunities for budding designers, architects,
  technological advances keep Kiwis in NZ and in
  Christchurch
• Consider future Human Rights Legislation
• Recognise people who made Christchurch a great
  city in the first place

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Luton is going to be the first dementia-friendly
city in the world

• Yeah Right!

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Contact details

• Karen Smith Clinical Research Nurse
• The Centre for Brain Research, University of
  Auckland
• k.smith_at_auckland.ac.nz
• Tel [phone]