Neighbourhoods: Our People, Our Places Work Package, 2016-2018

The ‘Neighbourhoods: our people, our places study’ (2014 – 2019) was undertaken as part of a wider programme of research exploring dementia in a neighbourhood context (Keady 2014). The research was intended to inform commitments set out in the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia (DoH 2012) which included plans to develop a nationwide network of dementia friendly communities. The project built on a pilot study involving 14 carers of people with dementia, conducted in the north-west of England during 2011 (Ward et al 2012). This allowed us to test the feasibility and refine the design in collaboration with stakeholders using workshops that included people with dementia, carers, practitioners, service commissioners and local policymakers. Design and methodology: The main aim was to investigate how neighbourhoods and local communities can support people living with dementia to remain socially and physically active. Working within a social constructionist paradigm, we used qualitative methods framed by a longitudinal and comparative design. The project extended over three fieldsites: Greater Manchester in northern England; the Central Belt of Scotland; and the county of Östergötland in the south of Sweden. Each fieldsite incorporated a research phase followed by planning and development for a neighbourhood-based intervention.