Dementia, Culture and Ethnicity

With contributions from experienced dementia practitioners and care researchers, this book examines the impact of culture and ethnicity on the experience of dementia and on the provision of support and services, both in general terms and in relation to specific minority ethnic communities. Drawing together evidence-based research and expert practitioners' experiences, this book highlights the ways that dementia care services will need to develop in order to ensure that provision is culturally appropriate for an increasingly diverse older population.

The book examines cultural issues in terms of assessment and engagement with people with dementia, challenges for care homes, and issues for supporting families from diverse ethnic backgrounds in relation to planning end of life care and bereavement.

First-hand accounts of living with dementia from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds give unique perspectives into different attitudes to dementia and dementia care. The contributors also examine recent policy and strategy on dementia care and the implications for working with culture and ethnicity. This comprehensive and timely book is essential reading for dementia care practitioners, researchers and policy makers.

About the Authors

Julia Botsford currently holds a joint post as Research Lead at Dementia UK and as Senior Admiral Nurse at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust. After a degree in history and philosophy, Julia trained as a general and mental health nurse. Early on in her career she made a decision to work within dementia care. Since then she has held a number of different posts both in clinical practice and education. She completed a doctorate in 2010, through research on the experiences of Greek Cypriot and African Caribbean partners of people with dementia.

Karen Harrison Dening is Director of Admiral Nursing at Dementia UK. Her key interests are palliative care and end of life care in dementia, advance care planning and specialist and advanced nurse practice. She has recently studied for a part-time doctorate at University College London in the Marie Curie Palliative Research Unit researching advance care planning in dementia. Karen is a member of the NCPC Dementia Working Group and the RSM Palliative Care Council.