Neighbourhoods and The Lived Experience of Dementia: Spaces, Places, and People

“This book holds the story of a monumental research effort… It provides a moving, thoughtful, understanding of what “neighbourhood” means and is a beacon for efforts aimed at improving the quality of life of all involved.”

Steven R. Sabat, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington D.C., USA

“It is indicative reading for educators, researchers, clinicians and policy makers nationally and internationally. By grounding the underpinning research in the lived experience of people with dementia, the book’s appeal extends to voluntary and community groups. Reading it is a must!”

Assumpta Ryan, Professor of Ageing and Health, Ulster University, UK

“A remarkable contribution to the ‘Reconsidering Dementia’ series.”

Bob Woods, Emeritus Professor, Bangor University, UK

This book provides research based insights into the lived experience of dementia, aging in place and the use of participatory and creative social research approaches in the field of dementia studies. 

For the first time the key findings of one of the UKs largest funded social science research projects, the Neighbourhoods study, are assembled into one accessibly written blueprint for dementia care aiding better understanding of the place and position of those living with dementia in the home and neighbourhood context.

Reconsidering Neighbourhoods and Living with Dementia highlights the importance of home for people living with dementia and that neighbourhoods are seen to be relational, virtual, technological, connected, lived, remembered, and imagined, and to exist within and across time. The book is organised under five key parts:

•The Lived Neighbourhood

•Neighbourhoods, Measurement and Technology

•Neighbourhoods and Big Data

•Personal Well-Being and Neighbourhood Programme Support

•Bringing it Together and Future Directions 

This comprehensive book is appropriate to a wide range of readers and disciplines including those living with dementia, the related health and voluntary professions, family carers, practitioners, academics, and students undertaking a variety of courses aligned to gerontology, dementia studies and human geography.

The Reconsidering Dementia Series is an interdisciplinary series published by Open University Press that covers contemporary issues to challenge and engage readers in thinking deeply about the topic. The dementia field has developed rapidly in its scope and practice over the past ten years and books in this series will unpack not only what this means for the student, academic and practitioner, but also for all those affected by dementia.

Series Editors: Dr Keith Oliver and Professor Dawn Brooker MBE.

John Keady is a mental health nurse who has been involved in dementia care for over 30 years. Since 2006, he has held a joint appointment between the University of Manchester and the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. He was the Chief Investigator of the Neighbourhoods study.