Reminiscing together – Study design of a community based participatory dementia care intervention in two Inuit communities in Greenland

Introduction: This article outlines the study design for the research and development project “Reminiscing together – care development for people with dementia in Greenland”. Longevity is increasing in the world, including Greenland, and the increase in the number of older people brings with it an increase in the number of people living with dementia. Only few materials and care methods are adjusted to or developed in the Greenlandic Inuit context and knowledge about the disease is scarce. In this study we will investigate images of ageing among care workers and how these images affect the day-to-day care work in two nursing homes in Qeqqata municipality. Methods: We will co-design designated spaces for reminiscence activities for residents in nursing homes and co-create smaller reminiscence actions to be integrated into daily care work. Theoretically we draw on the concepts of Identity and identification from sociology, Reminiscence as practiced cultural history from ethnology and The older person as ‘the other’ inspired by postcolonial feminist theory. Methodologically we will apply ethnographic fieldwork methods including participant observation, in-depth interviews and sharing circles, design thinking and co-design workshops as well as implementation and monitoring tools from promising practices. Dissemination: The results of this multidisciplinary community based participatory project will be disseminated widely in research and practice through articles, guidelines and instructional videos.