Indigenous Ways of Knowing about Dementia – Some lessons from the Gitxsan Perspective

In 2017, direct care nurses within the Gitxsan Health Society identified that an increased understanding of dementia was needed by both health authority and band-employed nurses to better support the individuals with the disease and the community caring for the people with the disease. Through 2018-19, a multi-partner Nurse research project was undertaken with this aim in mind. This included both qualitative and quantitative components and involved not only the person with dementia but also their family, friends, communities, nurses and other carers.

Led by and centred around the communities directly affected, a number of key themes emerged from the project, which gave voice to the gaps and needs in care but also highlighted the potential areas of strength that can be built on to improve care for the Gitxsan person living with dementia. This presentation speaks about the experience of this particular project and these particular communities with the hopes that further dialogue and knowledge exchange can lead to transferable learning in other separated but related settings.

Indigenous Ways of Knowing about Dementia Certificate