Befriending with GENIE: An intervention to reduce loneliness, and increase social support and service access for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) people living with dementia and their caregivers

This project aims to reduce loneliness by improving social connections and access to services for people living with dementia and their caregivers from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds. 

Social connections may support wellbeing and decrease loneliness. However, people living with dementia and their caregivers from CaLD backgrounds do not always know about or have access to activities that support social connection. As a result, they may be at increased risk of social isolation and poorer health outcomes. In CaLD communities, accessing social connection and services is more challenging due to language and cultural barriers. 

People may be eligible to participate if they are:

• 65+ years of age and having difficulty with thinking or memory or living with dementia, or providing care to a family member or friend living with dementia, AND
• come from a Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese or South Asian background, live at home (not in a residential aged care facility), and live in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney.
   

In this project, a trained researcher will visit participants (people with dementia and their carers) once a week, for up to eight weeks. Each visit will involve a friendly conversation and social network activities. Each visit will last about one-hour. The visits can be at a location of your choice, including the participant's home. With the participant's permission, the researchers will record the conversations and they may take photographs.

Participants will also be asked to complete some questionnaires about their social networks, health and wellbeing, and health services usage. This will be collected by a trained researcher at four time points.