TY - JOUR
T1 - A suite of evaluation resources for Dementia Friendly Communities
T2 - Development and guidance for use
AU - Buckner, Stefanie
AU - Lafortune, Louise
AU - Darlington, Nicole
AU - Dickinson, Angela
AU - Killett, Anne
AU - Mathie, Elspeth
AU - Mayrhofer, Andrea
AU - Woodward, Michael
AU - Goodman, Claire
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This is a summary of research supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration East of England. This study was a collaboration between three universities that are all part of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England: the University of Hertfordshire, the University of East Anglia and the University of Cambridge. Claire Goodman is a NIHR senior investigator. Nicole Darlington, Anne Killett, Louise Lafortune, Elspeth Mathie and Claire Goodman receive funding from the Applied Research Collaboration East of England.
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank all the study participants and individuals who supported the delivery of this research. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This is a summary of research supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration East of England. This study was a collaboration between three universities that are all part of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England: the University of Hertfordshire, the University of East Anglia and the University of Cambridge. Claire Goodman is a NIHR senior investigator. Nicole Darlington, Anne Killett, Louise Lafortune, Elspeth Mathie and Claire Goodman receive funding from the Applied Research Collaboration East of England.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - Objectives: In the context of a growing number of dementia friendly communities (DFCs) globally, a need remains for robust evaluation, and for tools to capture relevant evidence. This paper reports the development of a suite of evaluation resources for DFCs through a national study in England. Methods: Fieldwork took place in six diverse case study sites across England. A mixed methods design was adopted that entailed documentary analysis, focus groups, interviews, observations, and a survey. Participants were people affected by dementia and practice-based stakeholders. A national stakeholder workshop was held to obtain input beyond the research sites. A workshop at the end of the study served to check the resonance of the findings and emerging outputs with stakeholders from the case study DFCs. Results: The study had three key outputs for the evaluation of DFCs: First, an evaluation framework that highlights thematic areas to be considered in evaluating DFCs. Second, a Theory of Change that presents inputs into a DFC and short, medium and longer term outcomes. Third, a matrix for assessing a DFC’s degree of maturity, which enables a sense of the kinds of outcomes a DFC might realistically aspire to. These three outputs form a suite of interlinking and complementary evaluation resources for DFCs. Conclusions: The study has contributed evidence-based resources for monitoring and evaluation that complement existing frameworks. They can be applied to arrive at a detailed assessment of how well a DFC works for people affected by dementia, and at insights into the underlying factors that can guide future policy and practice.
AB - Objectives: In the context of a growing number of dementia friendly communities (DFCs) globally, a need remains for robust evaluation, and for tools to capture relevant evidence. This paper reports the development of a suite of evaluation resources for DFCs through a national study in England. Methods: Fieldwork took place in six diverse case study sites across England. A mixed methods design was adopted that entailed documentary analysis, focus groups, interviews, observations, and a survey. Participants were people affected by dementia and practice-based stakeholders. A national stakeholder workshop was held to obtain input beyond the research sites. A workshop at the end of the study served to check the resonance of the findings and emerging outputs with stakeholders from the case study DFCs. Results: The study had three key outputs for the evaluation of DFCs: First, an evaluation framework that highlights thematic areas to be considered in evaluating DFCs. Second, a Theory of Change that presents inputs into a DFC and short, medium and longer term outcomes. Third, a matrix for assessing a DFC’s degree of maturity, which enables a sense of the kinds of outcomes a DFC might realistically aspire to. These three outputs form a suite of interlinking and complementary evaluation resources for DFCs. Conclusions: The study has contributed evidence-based resources for monitoring and evaluation that complement existing frameworks. They can be applied to arrive at a detailed assessment of how well a DFC works for people affected by dementia, and at insights into the underlying factors that can guide future policy and practice.
KW - dementia friendly communities
KW - evaluation
KW - mixed methods
KW - monitoring
KW - people affected by dementia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138404117&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/14713012221106634
DO - 10.1177/14713012221106634
M3 - Article
C2 - 36067141
AN - SCOPUS:85138404117
VL - 21
SP - 2381
EP - 2401
JO - Dementia
JF - Dementia
SN - 1471-3012
IS - 8
ER -