Research Stream: Social Lives
Authors: Maria Gialama, PhD scholar and Graduate Teaching Assistant at Maynooth University’s Department of Psychology, Joanne McVeigh, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Maynooth University, Mac MacLachlan, Professor of Psychology & Social Inclusion, and Co-Director of the ALL Institute, Maynooth University and Georgios Hadjigeorgiou, Professor of Neurology, Medical School, University of Cyprus.
Dementia is an extremely common, progressive neurodegenerative condition which affects almost 55 million people worldwide. Every year, almost 10 million new cases are reported (WHO, 2024). Today, dementia is the seventh leading cause of death and a major cause of disability and dependency among the elderly. Unsurprisingly, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2019), declared dementia a public health priority, not only because of its global prevalence, but also due to its significant impact on families and health service providers. In Ireland, there are 55,000 ‘people living with dementia’ (PwD) and almost 60,000 people who provide care for someone diagnosed with the condition. Long before COVID-19, dementia emerged as a pandemic due to ageing populations and the relationship between age and the incidence of the condition (Fox & Petersen, 2013).
Continue reading “Can Lifestyle Changes Inform New Human-Rights Based Approaches to Dementia Management, Treatment and Care?”