RSRC

Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. It is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. According to a study that Published in the Lancet 2023, Iran is experiencing an acceleration in population ageing, such that in 2022, the proportion of people older than 60 years in Iran exceeded 10% of the total population. The formation of an aging population in Iran can be associated with societal problems, including age-related disorders such as dementia.  According to the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of dementia’s disease that were carried out up to 2023 in Iran by Oshnouei S, et all. the estimated prevalence of dementia was 0.08 (95% CI; 0.07–0.09). As reported by CDC, the number of people suffering from dementia in the US is projected to be nearly 14 million by 2060.

In such a circumstance, the best course of action is issue framing and making good policies to address the impact of ageing population. One of these solutions is establishing dementia-friendly community and  equip our community to be “dementia capable”. How we conduct business, provide services, and design our community impacts all Iranian people living with dementia. given what has been said, the key concepts such as accessibility, availability and affordability of dementia specific care services are the matters. dementia-friendly communities have these principles in common.

• They create a peaceful and calm environment for people with dementia—across all sectors of the community.
• They establish a safe, respectful environment for individuals with the dementia, their families and caregivers.
• They promote intergenerational connections to help break down barriers, increase social interaction and combat ageism.
• They promote dementia-friendly principles among all sectors of the community.

As claimed by  Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), one of the first countries in the Middle East to start work on making society more welcoming of people with dementia was Iran, but in light of the concepts such as accessibility, availability and affordability of dementia specific care services, the question arises, though: has our community met dementia friendly criteria? Are health care, transportation, homes, residential settings, town government, community based services, retail businesses, finance & banking, airports, libraries, faith communities, legal and advanced planning services of Iran designed for dealing with dementia needs?