What is DETERMIND Seldom Heard Groups about?

For the last 6 years, we have been exploring major inequalities (differences) and inequities (unfair differences) that people living with dementia and their family carers face. We have looked at inequalities and inequities that exist in the nature and quality of care provided, and people’s outcomes.

Our main DETERMIND study has highlighted that people from underserved groups can experience difficulties accessing dementia care. So, in this sub-study to DETERMIND, we want to better understand how we can address these challenges to ensure care is inclusive and maximises quality of life for everyone. 

Who can take part?

We will recruit 150 people who are LGBTQIA+ and have a dementia diagnosis.

Those who take part can choose to be supported by a friend of family member for their interview.

What does taking part in the study look like?

-    A pair of researchers from our friendly team visiting your home or somewhere where you feel comfortable to talk about your experiences, your health, your memory and your wellbeing. You can read about our friendly research team on our Take Part page.

-          A friend, family and/or chosen family member can also take part in the study and support you through it.

Our visit will take approximately two hours. Sometimes the visit will be longer, sometimes it will be shorter, but we will work around your schedule to accommodate your timing. If you’ve had enough of answering questions at any point, we can stop the visit. There are no right or wrong answers - we want to learn from your experiences.

Why is the study important?

We want to learn from your experiences so we can address inequalities in the dementia care pathway. This will help deliver inclusive care and support for everyone, maximising a better quality of life for all communities.

Through this project, we want to highlight how services and care can be improved for future generations of people living with dementia who are from the LGBTQIA+ community. In particular, we are hoping to find out how services can be inclusive of people’s needs. We will work closely with government and charities to shape better policy and research across the UK and beyond.