Changes in Measures of Dementia Awareness in UK Church Congregations Following a 'Dementia-Friendly' Intervention

A Pre-Post Cohort Study

Bibliographic Data

ID3575385
AuthorsPeter Kevern (0000-0001-9874-8874, University of Staffordshire, corresponding author), David Primrose (0000-0002-7340-0334, Transforming Church and Communities Enabler, Anglican Diocese of Lichfield, Lichfield, WS13 7LD, UK), David A Primrose (Church of England)
Year2020
Volume11
Issue7
Pages337
Publication date2020-07-07
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel11070337
OpenAlexW3040098871
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited25

Given their stability, their ability to influence public attitudes and capacity to mobilise human resources, it seems likely that many faith communities can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of people living with dementia (PLWD) and their carers, who may be dependent on the commitment of informal communities of support over months or years. This paper reports on a pre-post cohort study undertaken in an Anglican (Church of England) diocese in the UK. Representatives (N = 61) of 11 church communities completed the Dementia Awareness Scale immediately before and 12 months after an intervention to promote 'Dementia-Friendly Church' in their congregation. Results showed a robust improvement in scores on both the 'Knowledge' and 'Comfort' subscales, with the largest effect size in the latter. Within each subscale, improvements were evenly distributed across the individual items. These findings indicate that such an intervention is likely to significantly improve the environment for people living with dementia and their companions who are members of or engage with the Church community. They also suggest that a similar programme could be extended to other intentional communities, whether in faith-based organisations or societies with shared interests

Cohort · Dementia · Faith · Geography · Psychiatry · Theology · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Medicine · Psychology · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Gerontology

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