Understanding dementia

• Main Authors: Chow, Xin Ying, Ong, Joyce Yu Yi, Shen, Jessica Rujia, Sze, Qian Hui
• Other Authors: Ferdinand de Bakker
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Communication::Promotional communication
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/66798
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This paper presents Understanding Dementia, a public health campaign promoting dementia awareness, initiated by four final year students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. The campaign aimed to educate adults aged 25 to 50 years old on the warning signs of dementia and the importance and benefits of early diagnosis. The paper reviews primary and secondary research that contributed to the formulation of the campaign’s objectives and strategies. Our primary research showed that the target audience was not well informed of the symptoms of dementia, and that they generally held the misconception that these symptoms were part of normal ageing. Qualitative interviews also showed that only a small percentage of dementia cases were diagnosed in the early stage. To mitigate these problems, storytelling, public education and the use of social media were the key strategies developed to convey the campaign messages effectively. The team achieved success in meeting its informational and behavioural objectives. Post-campaign evaluation showed that the target audience was more informed about the symptoms of dementia and the benefits of early diagnosis. They would also take appropriate action should they suspect an elderly person of having dementia. With Singaporeans being more informed about the symptoms of dementia, this campaign helped lay the foundation for the creation of a dementia-friendly Singapore. In the long run, the campaign’s promotion of early diagnosis will help improve the quality of life of both persons with dementia and their caregivers.