Challenges and opportunities in providing dementia care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in rural and remote areas

Dementia (London). 2022 Nov 18:14713012221138825. doi: 10.1177/14713012221138825. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Dementia rates within Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations are estimated to be three to five times higher than non-Indigenous populations. Geographical and cultural barriers demand creative ways of delivering culturally appropriate effective dementia care. Focus groups and interviews with people (N = 73) from three Aboriginal Medical Services and communities explored attitudes toward, and experiences of dementia care and services. A thematic analysis highlighted the juxtaposition between biomedical and culturally appropriate models of dementia care. Services at the cultural interface can be adapted to facilitate appropriate dementia care at a local level allowing people to stay on Country, supported by people within one's own Community.

PMID:36398711 | DOI:10.1177/14713012221138825