Carer Empowerment Is Key to Reduce Dementia Care Inequalities in the Middle East.

Syed Fahad Javaid,Aishah Al-Zahmi,Munir Abbas

doi:10.3390/ijerph18084378

Syed Fahad Javaid, Aishah Al-Zahmi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18084378

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Abstract

Dementia represents a significant problem in the Middle East. Sociocultural and political factors that shape conceptions of health and care tend to stifle research and the dissemination of knowledge throughout the Middle East. These socio-political challenges concerning engagement with individuals living with dementia and their carers include language barriers, stigmatization, logistical constraints, lack of informal support outside of hospitals, and over-dependence on clinicians for dementia information. There is an urgent need in the Middle East to increase care and support for adults with dementia and their carers, enhance research efforts and improve the dissemination of information related to dementia in the region. One possible way to do so is to begin to promote a knowledge-based culture throughout the Middle East. This can be achieved by aligning traditional deterministic and spiritual perspectives of mental health with more Western, scientific, and evidence-based models. We suggest employing practical, multidimensional approaches to deal with the stated challenges, both at individual and societal levels. Doing so will improve knowledge of dementia and allow health and social care systems in the Middle East to begin to address a growing problem.

Highlights

To improve carers’ access to information, we suggest forming a body of experts from health, social care, and legal domains to work with individuals living with dementia and their carers to agree on accurate, culturally relevant information that carers can use
Persons living with dementia and their carers in the Middle East face inequalities in accessing support and care
The causes are diverse and varied, including stigma, language barriers, lack of informal care outside of the hospital environment, and an over-dependence on clinicians for information. Each of these factors reduces the opportunity to conduct research related to dementia in the Middle East

Summary

Background

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. 18.5 percent of adults aged 80 and over have diagnosable dementia [2] These figures may be underestimated due to underreporting of dementia cases and low access to health and social care services by a large proportion of the population [1]. Sociocultural and political factors that shape conceptions of health and care tend to stifle research and the dissemination of knowledge throughout the Middle East, which can have negative impacts on the ability to understand the health needs of the population [3] These socio-political barriers can lead to challenges with regard to engaging with individuals living with dementia and their carers [3]. Further research is still needed regarding the extent to which these inequities influence dementia incidence and the quality of care provided

Barriers to Accessing Dementia Care

Challenges in Dealing with the Problem