The aim of the Deaf with Dementia project is to carry out research that will assist with the early identification of dementia amongst Deaf people and identify what their needs are for support and services. See the leaflet: http://www.nursing.manchester.ac.uk/deafwithdementia/UsefulLinks/DWDleaflet.pdf

The Alzheimer’s Society has funded this 3 year research project. The project is a collaboration between the Social Research with Deaf People group and the Dementia Care group at the University of Manchester; DCAL at University College London, City University and in partnership with RAD. Longer term, RAD hopes to develop information, care and support services for Deaf people with dementia.

What the research will cover:

It is important to be able to spot the early signs of dementia and accurately assess it so that individuals and families can be supported; services can be accessed quickly and drugs, if appropriate, can be used to slow down the progression of the illness. Great steps forward have been made for hearing people in all these aspects of care but Deaf people and Deaf communities lag behind.

There are no culturally appropriate assessments in BSL that are known to work well in assessing Deaf people who might have dementia. There is also little information about dementia for Deaf people that is accessible, so general knowledge and awareness about dementia is quite low.

Nobody has investigated with Deaf people before what ‘living well’ with dementia might mean. What is valued by Deaf people and within Deaf communities may be different than hearing people’s perspectives. Early identification, accessible information and ‘living well with dementia’ are key aims of the Government’s dementia strategy but these cannot be achieved for Deaf people without Deaf-centred research in BSL.

The research will:

• Describe the experience of dementia from within the cultural perspective of signing Deaf people with dementia and their carers.

• Explore /knowledge of and attitudes towards dementia in the Deaf community including its identification, familial/community support, and service need and access.

• Establish what are the range of normal changes in language and thinking associated with healthy ageing in a population of Deaf signing older people

• Develop a dementia assessment instrument in BSL that is culturally appropriate

The project is:

• Carrying out a range of tests on Deaf people who do not have dementia to establish changes in language and thinking associated with healthy ageing

• Holding a range of discussion groups with Deaf people to identify what and how information on dementia can best be accessed by Deaf people

• Interviewing Deaf people with dementia and their carers to identify their needs and the services and support they want.

For more information about the project go to:  http://www.manchester.ac.uk/deafwithdementia