Understanding Intersectional Ageism and Stigma of Dementia: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Ageism and stigma reduce the quality of life of older adults living with dementia. However, there is a paucity of literature addressing the intersection and combined effects of ageism and stigma of dementia. This intersectionality, rooted in the social determinants of health (ie, social support and access to health care), compounds health disparities and is, therefore, an important area of inquiry. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review protocol outlines a methodology that will be used to examine ageism and stigma confronting older adults living with dementia. The aim of this scoping review will be to identify the definitional components, indicators, and measures used to track and evaluate the impact of ageism and stigma of dementia. More specifically, this review will focus on examining the commonalities and differences in definitions and measures to develop a better understanding of intersectional ageism and stigma of dementia as well as the current state of the literature. METHODS: Guided by Arksey and O'Malley's 5-stage framework, our scoping review will be conducted by searching 6 electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase) and a web-based search engine (ie, Google Scholar). Reference lists of relevant journal articles will be hand-searched to identify additional articles. The results from our scoping review will be presented using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews) checklist. RESULTS: This scoping review protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework on January 17, 2023. Data collection and analysis and manuscript writing will occur from March to September 2023. The target date for manuscript submission will be October 2023. Findings from our scoping review will be disseminated through various means, such as journal articles, webinars, national networks, and conference presentations. CONCLUSIONS: Our scoping review will summarize and compare the core definitions and measures used to understand ageism and stigma toward older adults with dementia. This is significant because there is limited research addressing the intersectionality of ageism and stigma of dementia. Accordingly, findings from our study may provide critical knowledge and insight to help inform future research, programs, and policies to address intersectional ageism and stigma of dementia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework; https://osf.io/yt49k. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/46093.

Overcoming Barriers for Older Adults to Maintain Virtual Community and Social Connections during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: We describe the evaluation of remote training, an innovative use of technology to maintain older adults' virtual connection with their community and socialization, which were disrupted by the pandemic. Remote training was conducted via telephone using principles of cognitive rehabilitation and delivered by trained clinicians. METHODS: We thematically analyzed trainer reflection notes and interviews with older adult participants. RESULTS: The main facilitators were technology training with exposure, and the main barrier was fear of technology. CONCLUSIONS: We describe how telephone-based training grounded in principles of cognitive rehabilitation can be used to remotely train older adults to use new technology and to help them maintain their community-based connections and engage in socialization. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Fear of technology during the pandemic can cause significant impairment in social functioning for older adults, at least when the only method for socialization is technology mediated such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Empathically delivered remote training in an understanding manner can reduce fear and increase social and community connections in the era of physical distancing.

Family carers' narratives of the financial consequences of young onset dementia.

Individuals with young onset dementia and their families face unique challenges, such as disruptions to their life cycle and relationships and a dearth of appropriate supports. Financial consequences have also been noted in the literature yet have not been explored in-depth. The purpose of this research was to qualitatively explore carers' experiences of financial consequences resulting from the young onset dementia of a family member and how these consequences may be managed. Eight carers (7 women and 1 man) provided a written online narrative about their journey with young onset dementia and any financial consequences experienced, with open-ended prompts to elicit details not yet shared. Narratives were inductively coded and analyzed using a thematic narrative approach. Carers described a voluntary or involuntary end to employment for the person with young onset dementia around the time of diagnosis. This engendered ongoing and anticipated financial consequences, combined with the need for carers to balance employment with the provision of care (which often meant early retirement for spousal carers). Common themes were tension between the needs to provide care and earn income, altered financial prospects, costs of care, and lack of available and accessible supports to ameliorate financial consequences. Findings illustrate the reality of financial consequences across the trajectory of young onset dementia. These consequences may manifest differently for spousal and child carers and are not being adequately addressed by existing supports.