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A growing number of older Australians are living with dementia, with the number estimated to increase from 421,000 to 812,500 over the next 30 years.
While many people with dementia live in residential aged care, about two-thirds of people with dementia live at home, within their communities.
Social connection is important for quality of life. Supports such as health and medical resources and services play a crucial role in enabling people’s continued participation and engagement in their social networks.
However, older people from migrant and culturally diverse communities may face additional barriers to access, such as lower proficiency in English, limited digital literacy and cultural stigma about dementia.
The Befriending with GENIE project aims to address this issue. Conducted by researchers from the National Ageing Research Institute, Edith Cowan University and the University of Sydney, with many valued community partnerships, Befriending with GENIE has been co-designed with researchers, people who coordinate and provide services to older people, as well as older people themselves.