Social engagement in dementia: Activities, motivation, support, barriers, and increasing aspects

BackgroundSocial engagement has been connected to better psychological well-being, improved QoL, and resilience to neuropathological changes. Yet, little is known about the details of social engagement in dementia, which could inform effective interventions.ObjectiveWith this study, we aimed at providing information on social engagement of people with dementia (PWD), given by proxies and PWD.Methods501 people actively involved in dementia care in Germany (86% female; mean age 53.5 years) provided answers to a structured, quantitative survey via online/paper questionnaire, or interview on (i) the types of social activities that PWD engage in, (ii) PWDs' motivation for social engagement, (iii) the support PWD get to engage, (iv) barriers to engage in activities, and (v) ways to increase social engagement. Descriptive analyses as well as overall and pairwise comparisons were performed.ResultsPWD often attend therapies (M = 3.6, SD = 1.0) and sometimes meet-ups with friends (M = 3.0, SD = 1.0), and they remain interested in social engagement (M = 3.5, SD = 1.7). Support was perceived to come mainly from family members (88.9%), partners/spouses (85.9%), and friends/acquaintances (59.9%). Most participants perceived activities not being dementia-friendly (16.1%) and the lack of support (25.6%) as a major barrier to social engagement. To increase the engagement of PWD, participants suggested that social activities need to be adapted to their abilities (83.1%), that the community needs to provide inclusive activities (75.0%), and that specialized care services need to be expanded (41.4%).ConclusionsTo facilitate and increase social engagement of PWD, support from social contacts and inclusive community behavior could be valuable steps.