An international collaboration to explore person centred approaches to dementia and the role of relationships in post diagnostic support.

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Many people with dementia face challenges in trying to live with such a socially stigmatising diagnosis. The World Alzheimer's Report (2011) suggests that when people with dementia and their families are well prepared and supported around the diagnosis and post diagnosis, then initial feelings of shock, anger and grief are balanced by a sense of reassurance and empowerment. However, how (and if) people are told they have dementia varies widely depending on national policy and practice. Effective diagnosis sharing is a fundamental first step in any person centred approach to dementia care. Many countries are moving away from medical approaches to give more focus on person centred dementia care. There is increasing evidence around the positive benefit and impact people with dementia can bring to their own care contexts. For people with dementia this means that issues of involvement and participation, as well as positive social relationships and being connected to their community, are all important to how they live with their diagnosis. Wider family and support relationships are part of the overall picture around living with dementia, yet what we know about these relationships is limited. The research focus of this proposed international group will be to improve our understanding of how relationships work after a diagnosis. Knowing more about how relationships work will help dementia researchers, people developing national policy, people providing support and care services, and for people with dementia themselves. Internationally, each of the 3 partner countries is experiencing and predicting rapid growth in the numbers of people with dementia. The UK now has guidance and national policy on diagnosis sharing and post diagnostic support. More globally, findings from the 10/66 Dementia Research Group show a more mixed picture. In Goa, the focus on diagnosis sharing and person centred care is a very recent development. In Taiwan the number of people with dementia is expected to increase dramatically. Taiwan has a national Ten-Year Long Term Care Plan started in 2008, so person centred care is a recent development. The proposed project will support established and early career dementia researchers from UK, India and Taiwan to work together. This group will meet at a four day residential in Edinburgh in August 2012 planned to coincide with conference attendance in Scotland by the senior academics. This meeting will be an opportunity for the group to plan and write an application for research funding. The overall aim of the proposed project is to support this existing group of academics to form stronger working relationships through which to share varied national perspectives; and to agree and take forward a joint research funding proposal that will explore post diagnostic relationships for people with dementia. Longer term impact will focus on activity and outcomes relating to grant applications, collaborations and publications. The partners have been chosen to allow for a variety of practice and policy contexts and to build on and strengthen existing academic and practice relationships. Prof Shyu, from Cheng-Gung Univesrity in Taiwan has a well established career focusing on dementia care and nursing. Dr Dias is a senior academic in the Dept of Preventative and Social Medicine, Goa Medical College and is also internationally connected to many of the major dementia networks including the 10/66 Dementia Research Group. Edinburgh University will provide desk, computing, library and other academic facilities to overseas participants who would like to extend their stay as a Visiting Fellow in order to add to the individual research capacity and experience, particularly for early career researchers.Dr Heather Wilkinson will project manage to ensure event coordination, impact assessment, building and sustaining network opportunities and dissemination. The CRFR knowledge exchange team will provide project support.