Community Engagement
Sowing the Seeds of Resistance: Empowering People with Dementia through Community Gardening
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sarah Noone
My doctoral research explores the lived experience of a community gardening initiative from the perspectives of people with dementia, and this paper expands upon one of the central themes emerging from the findings: the role of community gardening as an act of resistance against the stigma faced by people with dementia. Many individuals with dementia face stigma from others as a consequence of their condition, which often becomes internalised, contributing to feelings of shame and lack of self-worth. Furthermore, the stigma associated with dementia fuels a sense of disempowerment experienced by many of those living with the condition, as they begin to believe the wider misconception of themselves as "victims" and "sufferers," rather than individuals who remain capable of living well. This multi-methodological study incorporated elements of phenomenology and action research, to explore the lived experience of the gardening initiative for people with dementia. Through leading weekly gardening sessions with people with dementia and conducting qualitative interviews following each session, I learned that active participation in a gardening initiative offers an opportunity for people with dementia to resist the limitations imposed upon them. In supporting people with dementia to thrive beyond negative stereotypes, the garden can facilitate a greater acknowledgement of the enduring abilities of people with dementia and encourage those living with dementia to assert themselves as active and capable citizens, redressing the imbalance of power associated with the condition and contributing to a more positive lived experience of dementia.
Is Neighborhood Social Cohesion Associated with Subjective Well-being for Older Chinese People? : A Neighborhood Social Cohesion Study
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Ruby Yu
Identifying factors associated with subjective wellbeing in later life has been a long-standing research endeavor; but, the role of neighborhood social cohesion is relatively less studied. We use data from 301 community-dwelling Chinese men and women, aged sixty to ninety-five years, who participated in the Neighborhood Cohesion Study in Hong Kong conducted in 2017. Neighborhood social cohesion was measured using the fifteen-item neighborhood cohesion instrument (Cantonese version). Linear regression models were used to examine the associations of two dimensions of neighborhood social cohesion (social cohesion and neighborhood belonging) with evaluative (life satisfaction), hedonic (feelings of happiness) and eudemonic well-being (sense of purpose and meaning in life). While social cohesion was positively associated with life satisfaction and sense of purpose and meaning in life (both p<0.05) but not with feelings of happiness, neighborhood belonging was positively associated with all measures of subjective wellbeing (all p<0.01). Associations were independent of socio-demographics, lifestyle, medical history, and perceived age-friendliness of neighborhood environments. Stratified analyses indicated that neighborhood social cohesion was more strongly associated with subjective wellbeing in young-old (sixty to sixty-nine years) and in women. Enhancing social cohesion and neighborhood belonging are promising for promoting subjective wellbeing of older people. Community initiatives aiming to strengthen social cohesion and neighborhood belonging are expected to benefit subjective wellbeing among older people, especially as dependence on neighborhood resources increases with age.
Businesses as Community Resources: Places, People and Partnerships that Support Elderly People Living in Their Community
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Rie Yamanoi
This study discusses the possibility of businesses being used by social workers as community care agencies; including supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, banks, and other local businesses. The subjects of this study were six social workers from three agencies in two areas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted focusing on three broad themes. Interview data was analyzed by focusing on the availability of two kinds of resources; physical resources and human resources. The research revealed that some businesses, such as supermarkets and restaurants, contribute physical resources by providing their facilities for social workers and other professionals to offer talks on understanding senile dementia and other issues. Other business had developed specific commodities and services for the elderly. Meanwhile some businesses contributed human resources by encouraging their employees to pay special attention to elderly customers’ safety. Some banks have created a manual to help bank clerks cope with customers with senile dementia, based on their own experiences and consultation with social workers. Consequently, such resources have created opportunities for collaborations between social workers and businesses to support the community life of the elderly.
