University of Stirling Researchers building partnership and collaboration with Kenyan Partners
University of Stirling knowledge exchange from 19th to 25th November 2024
Dr Mary Njoki and Dr Junjie Huang, University of Stirling, are exploring inequalities, stigma, and designs for people living with dementia in Kenya with Kenyan Partners Elizabeth Kasimu, the founder and Director of Alzheimer's, Dementia Organisation Kenya, and Simon Githui, a lecturer and researcher at Dedan Kimathi University, through the Global Engagement Research Fund.
The challenge of dementia in Kenya is under-researched, with very limited data on the prevalence and impact on the local community. The societal implications of an ageing population, the rise of dementia, and the effects of social and economic change are not well mapped and are certainly multi-faceted and complex.
Elizabeth and Simon visited the University of Stirling for a knowledge exchange from 19th to 25th November 2024. Elizabeth was also graduating with an MSc in Dementia. They wanted to find out how people living with dementia are supported from different perspectives. To explore areas of collaboration in dementia research and teaching, they met with the dementia and the ageing division in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Health Sciences and Sports, and Dementia Services Development Centre. They also met with the internationalisation team to discuss possible wider and longer-term collaborations. They were also fortunate to sit in a meeting with Lord Provost Elaine Watterson, where academics working in ageing and dementia updated her on current research. This gave them a good overview of what is happening in this field within the university.
They visited various local community projects that support people living with dementia through music, art, and person-centred approaches. They met with Diana Kerr and Linda Rosborough, who started many singing groups for people living with dementia across Scotland. They attended Artlink AGM and launch, where they summarised the work they have been doing with people living with dementia. Kevin Harrison, the director, also met with them to give them a more detailed overview of their work.
In one of the day centres, they were requested to sing songs from Kenya. They sang, played musical instruments, and danced to the joy of the residents.
They also visited two care homes in Edinburgh to see the dementia designs in action that they had learned about after visiting the Dementia Services Development Centre. One care home was purpose-built, incorporating dementia designs, and has a dementia wing, and the other one was retrofitted and adapted from an old house to a care home.
The team also met with Prof. Mary Marshall to learn about the historical context of dementia design as the former Director of DSDC and has done a lot of work in this area. They also met with Jan Killeen to learn about the historical starts of organisations like Alzheimer Scotland as former Director and also having been involved in the initial dementia strategy and set up of various dementia services.
