Dementia

Dementia is a condition that mostly affects older people, and it is expected to increase as more people live longer. Since there is no cure for dementia, understanding the ways in which well-being can be maintained is important for those living with dementia. “Scaling the Peaks” is a cross-disciplinary research study that draws on medical ethnography, human geography and Geospatial Information Science to address the issues surrounding the design and delivery of dementia-friendly services in rural communities. The research question seeks to understand the barriers and drivers to the development of relevant, robust, reliable and accessible services that make a difference among older rural families affected by dementia. The study findings will provide an important basis for the design and delivery of future services in The Peaks at a local level and may act as a template for other rural communities to consider ways of developing and sustaining local dementia-friendly communities.

Professor Amanda Griffiths’s work provides the basis for evidence-based decision-making to regional and national service providers and policy makers facing the growing challenges of dementia. She has served on research committees for the UK's Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the British Occupational Health Research Foundation, and advised and produced commissioned reports for the European Commission, International Commission on Occupational Health, European Agency for Safety & Health at Work, World Health Organisation, International Labour Office, British Government Health & Safety Executive, public and private sector employers, charities and trade unions.