ABSTRACT

Attitudes towards people with dementia have changed in the 21st century with increased awareness of the role of self-advocacy and an emphasis on hearing the voice of the person with dementia. In this chapter, we consider the question “where does dementia sit in modern society?” and in doing so will review the contextual situation of people with dementia in four population groups: prisoners; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people; people with a learning disability and black and minority ethic (BME) communities. We know that such groups are under-represented in terms of the numbers of people diagnosed with dementia, and current services do not fit specific needs. Yet, without knowledge of the specific characteristics of such populations, the cycle of under representation will continue with a subsequent lack of evidence-based support in practice. The increasing prevalence of national dementia strategies will be explored to discuss whether this offers an opportunity for marginalised groups to have their voice heard.