Perceptions of a UK Bangladeshi community on accessing dementia health and care services within the context of the English National Dementia Strategy

Bangladeshi communities experience poor health outcomes and have higher risk factors for vascular dementia. This article explores the perceptions of people living with dementia, as well as the perceptions of their family members and caregivers, and gathers their views on current dementia support services in order to make recommendations to improve the provision of dementia support services in a UK Bangladeshi community. A total of 25 semi-structured face-to-face and virtual interviews were conducted with individuals with dementia, their family caregivers and dementia service providers from a UK Bangladeshi community. The interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. NVivo was used for thematic analysis. Family members and caregivers of people living with dementia demonstrated a strong sense of obligation and interpersonal motives for providing care at home. Despite their dedication, care partners struggled to provide adequate care due to work commitments and a lack of dementia knowledge. Cultural and language barriers were identified when accessing health and social care services. This article provides a further look into a UK-based Bangladeshi community’s experience with people living with dementia. Their views can contribute to a better understanding of the perceived challenges that the Bangladeshi community faces in accessing dementia health and social care services and support, thereby enabling better decision making by service providers and policy makers. These findings will also inform the development, delivery and adoption of dementia policy support, as well as the integration of diversity into dementia policy to shape future approaches to care provision.